SC empowered Committee holds public hearing

Hyderabad, Mar 11 (UNI) Even as thousands of aquaculturists and fishworkers affected by the closure of fish ponds in the world famous Kolleru lake in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling stood, people's representatives and advocates pleaded before the apex-court appointed Empowered Committee for protection of the livilihood of the over one million people depending on it directly and indirectly.

As the four-member Committee headed by M K Gijwrajaka held the public hearing inside the Jubilee hall, agitated aquaculturists unable to understand the proceedings being held in English, staged a noisy protest.

Seeking modification of the apex court's order which only permitted traditional fishing, former MP and former State Minister V Sobhanadreswara Rao urged the Committee to allow fish production through ''Cage and Pen culture'' as practised in the USA, China and Philippines, without causing pollution as a total ban of pisciculture would deprive livelihood of the people dependant on the Rs 700 crore Aquaculture sector.

Maintaining that encroachments of Government lands in the fifth contour and private lands, should be removed to restore the pristine glory of the lake which attracts many migratory birds, the TDP leader demanded that the Government must provide suitable compensation to the affected people and allocate land for the poor in the sixth and seventh contours for practising environment-friendly ''cage and pen culture''.

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