Voice of Kolleru formed to protect rights of Kolleru-area residents

Villagers, aquaculture and agriculture farmers residing in the vicinity of Kolleru Lake have established a welfare organization named Voice of Kolleru. The primary objective of this society is to serve as a platform for individuals affected by issues related to the lake and to safeguard the rights of the local population. This region hosts millions of people, including farmers, traders, and traders.

Voice of Kolleru, also known as the Kolleru Volunteers Organisation for Inclusive Conservation and Empowerment, plans to organize awareness meetings, seek support from public representatives, investigate the legal aspects of defining wetland boundaries, and collaborate with both State and Union governments. Its president, Ch. Sivaji Raju, revealed these plans.

The members of Voice of Kolleru argue that the lake once covered approximately 100 square miles or 64,000 acres, and maintain that areas outside the lake should not be subject to wetland regulations. Gangadharam, the organization's secretary, emphasized this viewpoint in a statement released on Saturday. The Supreme Court recently instructed the State government to complete the demarcation of the wetland boundary within two months, based on a petition filed.

If the entire 161,000-acre area around Kolleru is included in wetland regulations, as proposed by some, it would cause significant losses for aquaculture and agriculture farmers, as well as people living in towns, villages, gram panchayats, and nagar panchayats around the lake. Ramalinga Raju, Bose Raju, Purushottam, and Renu Sarath, members of Voice of Kolleru, warned that such a decision would halt development activities and negatively impact livelihoods.

The organization's leaders asserted that it is incorrect to consider the entire 161,000-acre area around Kolleru as wetlands.