Ecologically-sensitive corridor adjoining Mukurthi National Park under threat from illegal construction
The Hindu
Buildings, and a road leading to the construction site were illegally set up; Forest Department has cut off access to the road and has booked a case
The ecologically-sensitive area of Naduvattam, adjoining the Mukurthi National Park is at risk, due to the construction of buildings as well as an illegal road cutting through forest land. According to officials, a road, measuring 125 meters in length was illegally constructed through a patch of land notified to be declared as a reserve forest in the Pykara forest range in the Nilgiris forest division. The owner of a property in the area, who is alleged to be drawing water illegally from the surrounding Shola forests to construct the buildings, built the road that would serve as an access road to the building site.The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.