Villagers prevent forest officials from entering the Koller nature reserve on Thursday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Tension prevailed near Paidichintapadu village on Thursday as farmers and residents staged a protest demonstration to prevent forest department officials from entering the Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary.
The confrontation is the latest escalation in a long-running dispute over the sanctuary’s legal boundaries and the livelihood rights of thousands of local families.
Residents blocked all three entry points to the village and set up temporary tents. They did not allow the forest officials to pass through the three roads that lead to the illegal orchards.
According to forest department sources, illegal fish tanks covering an area of nearly 300 acres have been identified in the village, of which around 250 acres have already been demolished in earlier phases.
The remaining 50-acre illegal tanks pose a challenge to the authorities. The tanks in question could not be destroyed earlier due to a boundary dispute involving a neighboring 100-acre tank, leading to a temporary halt in operations.
Recently, forest department officials tried to prevent locals from pumping water into these illegal tanks, sparking fresh backlash.
ordered by the supreme court
The forest officials pleaded with the villagers to allow them to perform their duties and implement the orders of the Supreme Court. But the villagers, led by former ZPTC member Saidu Satyanarayana, claimed their livelihood was at stake. They vowed to prevent any further government intervention until a final legal decision was reached.
The villagers said they would continue their protest and threatened to fill in all the ditches dug by the ministry to get land for cultivation.
“The mass migration of youth is proof of the economic strangulation caused by the sanctuary regulations. We will not let the official near the lake at any cost,” Mr. Satyanarayana said, forcing the forest officials to return.
Tanks with a “zero point”.
Despite enforcement efforts, local residents are said to be attempting to continue fish farming by creating “zero-point” tanks — shallow tanks dug to a depth of four to five feet — to circumvent the restrictions. The ministry warned that even such attempts fall under illegal activity and require strict measures.
Forest officials reiterated that Kolleru Lake is a protected wetland and that illegal aquaculture poses serious ecological risks. They said steps are being taken to resume demolition of the remaining reservoirs and measures to ensure restoration of the lake in compliance with court orders and environmental regulations.
Published – 06 Feb 2026 20:12 IST