Srikakulam: Aquaculture ponds posing threat to farmlands

Srikakulam: Aquaculture ponds all along coastal belt are posing threat to paddy cultivation and causing water pollution around it. Large number of aquaculture ponds appearing in all 11 coastal mandals across the district.

These ponds are being used for cultivation of fish and prawn. Indiscriminate digging of these ponds posing threat to adjacent agriculture fields in several villages in seacoast mandals. Both fish and prawn is being cultivated in an extent of 4,000 acres across the district.

Due to the ponds saline water is also receding into the farm fields along the seacoast mandals in Itchapuram, Kaviti, Sompeta, Mandasa, Vajrapukotturu, Santhabommali, Polaki, Gara, Srikakulam rural, Etherla and Ranastalam mandals. Feed used for prawn and fish is causing damage to regular crops and farmer friendly creatures and ecological system, food chain are also affected in the seacoast villages.

Chemicals and medicine used for better and quick growth of the fish and prawn is leading to pollute air, water and soil in all the seacoast villages. AP Aquaculture Development Authority Act, 2020 rules must be followed for digging the ponds and to cultivate fish and prawn.

Coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) rules and restrictions are applicable for the ponds, if any complaint is registered on violation of rules, "we will stop the cultivation and remove the ponds, said joint director for fisheries, PV Srinivasa Rao.