The Human Rights Forum (HRF) demands that the Andhra Pradesh Government immediately drop its plans to acquire around 1,300 acres of land in Koyyalagudem Mandal in Eluru District, in order to facilitate the establishment of a Naval Armament Depot (NAD).
A four-member HRF team visited Koyyalagudem Mandal on 03.02.2026 and interacted with the villagers of the mandal on the proposed land acquisition for the depot. The people have been unanimous in their opposition to the proposal to acquire such a large swath of land.
Koyyalagudem Mandal is richly endowed with groundwater and supports remunerative agriculture throughout the year. Villagers of this mandal cultivate Virginia Tobacco, Cotton, Maize, Cashew, Banana, Sugarcane, Oil Palm, and a variety of vegetables all-round the year. While some farmers raise two crops a year, there are also those who raise three crops a year. Agriculture has been a rewarding occupation for thousands of villagers of this mandal.
It merits a mention that the government never tires of advertising the huge land bank that it has amassed over the years, running into lakhs of acres across the length and breadth of the state. This project can be allotted land in one of those hundreds of lands banks that the government has at its disposal. There is no justification for pressuring people to part with their fertile lands for this project.
It also needs to be pointed out here that the Government initially proposed acquiring lands in Nallajerla Mandal in the district only to be strongly opposed by the local people. Thereafter, the government sounded out the villagers of Jeelugumilli, a Schedule-V Mandal, in the district only to be strongly rebuffed by them. This is now the third attempt by the government to acquire land for a project that can very well be established in vacant, unproductive lands.
The villagers of this mandal are no strangers to failed promises of ‘Development’. Lands were acquired from a couple of villages in this mandal such as Kannapuram, Mangadevipeta, Otlagudem more than a decade ago for digging canals for the Chintalapudi Lift Irrigation Scheme. However, the project is yet to be completed, and water has yet to flow through these canals. They are now being demanded to part with their lands once again, while the failure of ‘Development’ is still fresh in their memory.
Given the irrationality of the location of the proposed project, it would behoove the government to heed the opposition of the people and scout for unobjectionable lands.
HRF strongly urges the Andhra Pradesh Government to put an end to attempts to acquire land in Koyyalagudem mandal for the proposed armament depot.
Y. Rajesh (HRF Andhra Pradesh State general secretary)
G. Rohith (HRF Andhra Pradesh State secretary)
04.02.2026,
Vijayawada.