The Voice of Koller was founded to protect the rights of the residents of the Koller area

Villagers, aquaculture and farmers living around Lake Kolleru have formed Voice of Kolleru, a welfare society that aims to provide a platform for those affected by lake-related issues and protect the rights of local people.

The areas surrounding the lake in Eluru, Kaikaluru, Undi, Gudivada, Unguturu and Denduluru mandals are home to thousands of people, including farmers and traders in aquaculture and agriculture.

The Voice of Kolleru (Kolleru Volunteers Organization for Inclusive Conservation and Empowerment) will hold information sessions, seek support from public representatives, study the legal aspects of wetland demarcation and coordinate with the state and Union governments, said its president N. Sivaji Raju.

Farmers and locals say Kolleru was about 100 square miles, or 64,000 acres, and that areas outside the lake should not be subject to wetland regulations, the organization’s secretary, Gangadharam, said on Saturday.

The Supreme Court recently directed the state government, in response to a writ petition, to identify and complete the demarcation of the wetland within two months.

Aquaculture and agriculture farmers, as well as people living in towns, villages, gram panchayats and nagar panchayats around Koller, would suffer severe losses if the entire 1,61,000-acre area around the lake comes under wetland regulations, said Voice of Koller members Ramalinga Raju, Bose Raju, Purushottam and Renu Sarath. According to them, such a move would halt development activities and adversely affect livelihoods.

“It is not right to treat the entire area of ​​about 1,61,000 acres around Koller as wetlands,” the organization officials said.

Published – 29 Aug 2026 20:01 IST