Team feels fishing jetty near Gangavaram port more suitable

Visakhapatnam, Apr 10 (UNI) The expert committee appointed by the government to study the feasibility of constructing a fishing jetty at Nallamaramma Patalu adjacent to Gangavaram today said it was more suitable than that proposed by the government at Yarada.

The team, consisting of noted academician Prof R V Rama Rao, former Geological Survey of India Director Mr Janardhana Rao and former AP Irrigation Department Chief Engineer Mr S Satyanarayana, today visited the spot, about 28 km from the city.

Interacting with newspersons at the site, they said the jetty, if built at Patalu, a long-standing demand of the fishermen of Gangavaram village, was technically and financially more feasible.

The team felt building of a jetty at Yarada or Appikonda, as proposed by the government, was less suitable. With less investment, a modern jetty could be built at Patalu, which would benefit both the fishermen community as well as the government, they added.

The Rs 2000-crore private port at Gangavaram has created a controversy with villagers being engaged in a long drawn struggle for a proper relief and rehabilitation package and a fishing jetty adjacent to the port, for which work had already begun. They had been refusing to shift their fishing activities to Yarada.

One person was killed and several others, including police, were injured, when the agitation turned violent on March 27.

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