Construction material lying on an area near the beach in Perupalem. The High Court on Tuesday ordered a status quo in the matter.
Fishermen in Perupalem, a coastal village in West Godavari district, are determined not to allow any construction on land near the beach, which they say is protected by Coastal Regulatory Zone norms and where they have been growing coconut palms and Casuarina plantations for decades.
With the catch from the sea subsidence, villagers have become increasingly dependent on these trees for their livelihood, said Tirumani Srinivas, a fisherman, adding that 15 casuarina plantations have been razed to the ground due to the ongoing construction work. “A few people who claimed to be working for the government started dumping a pile of sand, brought bricks and built foundations for the structures,” said Mr. Srinivas.
Activists from the Human Rights Forum (HRF), which has been working on the issue for a long time, said that these projects not only deprive villagers of their livelihood but also violate Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.
According to the CRZ Notification 2011 issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), coastal areas are classified into CRZ I, CRZ II, CRZ III and CRZ IV sections. The area within 200 meters from the high tide line (HTL) on the land side is considered as No Development Zone (NDZ) under CRZ-III where no permanent structures can come up as per the notification.
Mr. Srinivas, who earlier moved the Andhra Pradesh High Court, said the current construction is in the NDZ area. The High Court has already issued two stay orders regarding constructions at the site, he said. As for the ongoing works, the villagers have recently submitted another written request seeking compensation for the lost casuarina plantation. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ordered the status quo, but the order has not yet been uploaded online.
While the HC order has brought temporary relief, villagers say that in the past structures have been constructed despite HC orders. “We cannot continue to fight with private and government players,” said T. Satyanarayana, another villager.
From 2016, when construction began on the area’s first restaurant, over 1,500 coconut palms and many acres of casuarina plantations have been destroyed by 2023 to make way for a road, two more resorts, a marine police station and a beach festival, Mr. Satyanarayana said. Later, activists and villagers stopped the construction of two resorts and a marine police station.
West Godavari District Collector Chadalawada Nagarani, when asked how the construction can come up in the NDZ, said that the ongoing work is for public service purposes. “These are not permanent structures. Two temporary toilets are coming up at the beach for tourists at a cost of ₹3,000 each,” she said. The collector added that there are no toilets in the area where the stay order is in force, but the villagers disagree with her on this.
Human Rights Forum (HRF) state secretary and Supreme Court advocate Gutta Rohith said that regardless of dissent, the law is very clear about what can be built in areas falling under the no-development zone.
Published – 31 Dec 2025 19:30 IST
