SRIKAKULAM: Wetlands are God’s gift and their protection is the duty of every human being, said anti-thermal power plant agitators, members of BC Welfare Association and Uttarandhra Journalists’ Front (UJF).

To mark the World Wetlands’ Day on Sunday, they visited the relay fast camp at Vaddithandra in Santhabommali mandal on Sunday. The relay fast camp has been continuing since August 15, 2010 opposing a thermal power plant at Kakarapalli in Santhabommali mandal.

Kakarapalli Noupada wetlands are located and spread across Vaddithandra, Santhabommali, Borubadra, Vaddivada, Kollipadu, Lakkivalasa, Maruvada, Meghavaram, Sunnapalli, K Lingoodu, Moolapeta, Noupada, Yamalapeta, HNPeta, Aakasalakhavaram, Kotapadu and DG Puram gram panchayats.

Under these panchayats, total villages are 56 and population is 40,000. On the occasion, BC Welfare Association State general secretary Beena Dhilli Rao, executive member Palle Harichchandra, Uttarandhara Journalists’ Front (UJF) president Chowdari Lakshmana Rao and several other journalists of the UJF and other unions visited the relay fast camp and expressed solidarity with the agitation.

Thermal power plant agitators Anantha Hannoo Rao, Mandala Gannu, Karunya Kesava, Nageswara Padmanabham, Anantha Kannoo, Nageswara Duryodhana, Gayasri Ramudu, Gayasri Taranam, Nagula Tonku, Gayasri Khagupati and others attended at camp. On the occasion, they demanded that the government cancel permissions for the thermal power plant at Kakarapalli by banning the GO MS No-1108 and recover the lands from the contracting company at a quick pace.