The Supreme Court of India has issued a contempt notice to the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, Neerabh Kumar Prasad, concerning the unauthorized construction of fish tanks at the Kolleru Lake wetlands and Bird Sanctuary. The notice was served by a three-judge bench consisting of Justices BR Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra, and KV Viswanathan on Thursday.
This legal action comes after reports indicated that the state had not adhered to a 2006 Supreme Court order which mandated the restoration of the Kolleru wildlife sanctuary. The original directive, part of the case TN Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India, required state officials to follow recommendations from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) report dated March 20, 2006. These recommendations included the demolition of all fish tanks within the sanctuary and those exceeding 100 acres in area, to be completed by May 31, 2006.
Despite these directives, the contempt petition highlights that illegal fish farming operations continue to thrive, facilitated by the ongoing use and transport of materials necessary for aquaculture. Information provided by the petitioner, sourced from the Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife Management Division of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department via the Right to Information Act, 2005, indicates that approximately 6,908.48 hectares within the Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary are currently being used for illegal aquaculture activities.
The court has now requested Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad to respond to the contempt notice and explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated for non-compliance with the 2006 Supreme Court order. The petitioner, represented by Advocate Akshay Mann, seeks to enforce the original directives and has urged the court to mandate the removal of all unlawful encroachments in Kolleru Lake.
