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NDTV
4 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Ex-Andhra MP's Daughter In Trouble Over Coastal Zone Rules Violation
Hyderabad: The daughter of a former YSRCP Member of Parliament and her husband have landed in trouble after a company owned by them was charged with alleged Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms violations in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam district. P Neha Reddy, daughter of Vijayasai Reddy, and Rohit Reddy are facing legal action over an accusation that their company constructed a wall at the popular Bheemili or Bheemunipatnam Beach. The police have registered a case based on a complaint by the Andhra Pradesh Coastal Zone Management Authority (APCZMA) and a local court directive in this matter. The action followed a March directive by the Andhra Pradesh High Court for the CZMA to file a police complaint to initiate action against the company owned by the Reddys. The issue had first gained public attention when Jana Sena corporator Peetala Murthy Yadav filed a Public Interest Litigation in the High Court over alleged encroachments. Last September, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) had undertaken the demolition of alleged illegal constructions at the site, after serving formal notices to Neha Reddy. This initial demolition was also carried out under the direction of the High Court, which had sought a detailed report from the GVMC. The High Court, in March this year, took a serious view of the situation after the petitioner contended that the wall had only been partially demolished. A special government pleader informed the court that while most illegal constructions were removed, an old building and some toilets remained. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Cheemalapati Ravi then ordered the formation of a committee to assess the environmental damage and asked them to report to the court. The committee comprised the AP Coastal Zone Management Authority member secretary, the GVMC commissioner, and the Visakhapatnam Collector. The High Court further directed that the cost of the demolition and the environmental damage should be recovered from the company. The legal proceedings unfold months after Vijayasai Reddy's departure from the YSR Congress Party. He had also resigned as a Rajya Sabha member in January, stating that he would not join any other political party.
Hans India
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Vijayasai's kin booked for CRZ violations on Bheemili coast
Visakhapatnam: Police registered a case against a company owned by former MP V Vijayasai Reddy's daughter P Neha Reddy and son-in-law Rohit Reddy for alleged violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms at Bheemili Beach. The case has been registered on a complaint by Andhra Pradesh Coastal Zone Management Authority. The action was taken on the order of a Bheemili Court following the complaint by Coastal Zone Management Authority about the violation of CRZ norms. In March, the Andhra Pradesh High Court directed AP Coastal Management Authority to lodge a complaint with the police so as to initiate action against the company which allegedly constructed a wall in Bheemili, also known as Bheemunipatnam Beach. Jana Sena corporator Peetala Murthy Yadav had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Andhra Pradesh High Court with regard to the alleged encroachments. Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) had demolished alleged illegal construction in September last year after serving formal notices to Neha Reddy. The action was taken on the direction of the High Court, which had also sought a detailed report from GVMC. The High Court in March this year took serious note of alleged violation of CRZ norms after the petitioner complained that the wall was demolished only partially. Special government pleader had informed the court that all illegal constructions were demolished except for an old building and some toilets. A division bench of Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Cheemalapati Ravi ordered the constitution of a committee with the AP Coastal Zone Management Authority member secretary, GVMC commissioner and the Visakhapatnam Collector to assess the environmental damage and report to the court. The High Court had also directed that the cost of the demolition and the environmental damage should be recovered from the company.
Time of India
18 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Vizag slips from 4th to 9th in Swachh Survekshan ranking
Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam's ranking in the latest Swachh Survekshan 2024 has fallen to 9th place among 40 cities with million-plus population, down from 4th over the past two years. This decline is attributed to factors such as reducesd door-to-door waste collection and a drop in source segregation levels to 81%. Despite the slip, Visakhapatnam maintained a strong overall score of 11,636 out of 12,500. Within the core SS2024 component worth 10,000 marks, the city scored 9,336—placing it 8th among the top 10 cities. In the garbage-free cities (GFC) category, worth 1,300 marks, Visakhapatnam earned 1,100 marks — tying with Pune and Agra but falling 200 marks short of the highest scorers. The city performed exceptionally well in the open defecation-free segment, earning full marks of 1,200, in line with its top-tier peers. Although Visakhapatnam trails Pune by 57 marks and Hyderabad by just 14 in the SS2024 component, its 200-mark shortfall in the GFC category—equivalent to missing 2–3 mid-weight indicators such as stormwater drain cleanliness—highlights specific areas for improvement. This year saw the introduction of new 'Super Swachh League' to recognise cities with consistent top-tier performance. To qualify, cities must have ranked in the top three at least once in the past three years and be among the top 20% of their category in the current year. Four cities have been recognised as Super Swachh League cities. Vijayawada made the cut among these four cities with populations over 10 lakh, while Visakhapatnam would stand at 13th if these league cities were included in the overall rankings. The Swachh Survekshan 2024 (SS2024) toolkit allocates a total of 10,000 marks across ten key performance areas: visible cleanliness (1,500 marks), segregation, collection & transportation (1,000), solid waste management (1,500), access to sanitation (1,000), used water management (1,000), mechanisation of desludging services (500), advocacy for Swachhta (1,500), ecosystem strengthening & institutional capacity (1,000), welfare of sanitation workers (500), and citizen feedback & grievance redressal (500). According to experts, to improve its standing, Visakhapatnam should focus on enhancing door-to-door segregated waste collection to align with higher-scoring peers, expanding solid waste processing capacity, and accelerating landfill remediation. Increasing the fleet and frequency of mechanised desludging services could help secure full 500 marks in that area. To maximise scores in advocacy and feedback, the city should utilise school-based assessments, run awareness campaigns at tourist spots, and strengthen digital citizen engagement platforms. A major highlight for Visakhapatnam was winning Rank 1 in the Safaimitra Surakshit Shehar category. GVMC mayor Peela Srinivasa Rao described it as a proud moment and dedicated the achievement to sanitation workers, citizens, GVMC staff, public representatives, and partner organisations. Commissioner Ketan Garg also expressed pride in the recognition, crediting citizen participation and the dedication of the GVMC workforce.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
CZMA initiates legal action against Vijaya Sai's daughter
Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh Coastal Zone Management Authority (APCZMA) has filed a case in the Bheemili court against Avyaan Realtors, owned by P Neha Reddy and P Rohit Reddy — the daughter and son-in-law of former MP P Vijaya Sai Reddy — for allegedly carrying out illegal constructions along Visakhapatnam's beach road near Bheemili without obtaining coastal regulation zone (CRZ) permissions. According to APCZMA's complaint, the accused constructed a concrete wall within the CRZ limits without prior approval, violating provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Although the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation partially demolished the wall up to ground level, underground remnants remain to be cleared. This legal action follows a public interest litigation (PIL No. 53/2024) filed in the high court by Janasena corporator Peethala Murthy Yadav. In response, the court directed authorities to enforce environmental regulations and ensure removal of unauthorised structures. The court confirmed the ongoing violations and ordered immediate demolition and restoration of the affected coastal stretch. Earlier, GVMC had issued provisional and final notices to the firm, instructing the removal of the illegal structure on the seaward side. After the company allegedly failed to comply, GVMC proceeded with demolition and said that it would recover the associated costs under the AP Municipal Corporation Act, 1955. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 most beautiful women in the world Undo by Taboola by Taboola A central inspection team from the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change is expected to visit the site to assess the environmental impact. For the uniformed, CRZ rules, framed under the Environment Protection Act, are designed to protect coastal ecosystems by restricting construction within a designated buffer zone from the high tide line. Any development in this zone requires explicit permission from CZMA and environmental clearance. However, observers point to possible lapses in enforcement and oversight by local authorities and urban planning departments when the structure was constructed without permissions.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
GVMC approves Rs 31.03 crore worth development works
Visakhapatnam: Development works worth Rs 31.03 crore under the engineering department were approved during the GVMC standing committee meeting held on Saturday, said mayor and standing committee chairperson P Sreenivasa Rao. The mayor presided over the meeting conducted at the GVMC main office. He said that a total of 93 agenda items were presented, including 60 main agenda items and 33 tabled items. All proposals were thoroughly discussed and unanimously approved by the committee members, he added. Srinivasa Rao also noted that the committee addressed several matters related to the revenue department, such as the collection of dues and lease extensions, along with multiple issues concerning the public health department. Meanwhile, foundation stones were laid for development works worth Rs 5.89 crore in Vadlapudi, Ward 87 of the Gajuwaka zone on Sunday. The mayor was joined by TDP state president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao, along with ward corporator Bonda Jagannath, during the inauguration.
