Fishermen engaged in fishing at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowleswaram in East Godavari district. | Photo credit: T. APPALA NAIDU
Following a dispute between fishermen from the two areas over fishing rights in the Godavari River, a fresh survey was commissioned to identify the administrative boundaries of East Godavari and Dr. BR Ambedkar Konaseema.
The dispute remains unresolved as fishermen from Bobbarlanka and Dowleswaram continue to fight over fishing rights in the Godavari River at the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage in Dowleswaram.
This year, the Dowleswaram Matsakara Sangham won a one-year lease signed by the Department of Fisheries to collect wild prawn seeds from the river at the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage. The lease is now in dispute, with the Bobbarlanka Matsakara Sangham objecting to the lease and restrictions on wild shrimp seed collection.
In a meeting held here on Tuesday (December 23, 2025), Joint Collectors T. Nishanthi (Dr. BR Ambedkar Konaseem District) and Y. Megha Swaroop (East Godavari) directed the Department of Fisheries, Irrigation and Survey to conduct a fresh survey to identify the boundaries of the two areas to find a permanent solution to fishing rights. Officials met to discuss the dispute based on court directives.
“The Ministry of Fisheries, Irrigation and Exploration will submit its report on the two district boundaries at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage on December 30. The next round of talks on the two-party dispute will be held on January 22, 2026. Collection of wild shrimp seed will be prohibited in the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage outlet until further notice,” the Collector said in an official decision.
Published – 23 Dec 2025 20:28 IST
