The Human Rights Forum (HRF) calls on the AP government to desist from going ahead with acquiring a large extent of land in Guduru mandal and by the coast in Kavali mandal of Nellore district for the purpose of establishing a project of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL). We believe that if carried forward, this project will devastate livelihoods and inflict unmitigated pollution in the region.
Following recent efforts by the government to acquire land for setting up a 9 million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) oil refinery-cumpetrochemical complex by BPCL in an extent of 6,000 acres, a fourmember HRF fact-finding team visited the area on 14-09-2025. We spoke with residents of two villages in two panchayats (Chevuru and Ravuru) in
Gudlur mandal and four villages in two panchayats (Chennayapalem and Pedda Pattapupalem) in Kavali mandal. All villages are on a strip of land between the sea and National Highway 16. We spoke principally with farmers, farm labour and fishers (known locally as pattapollu and pallekaarulu).
The predominant livelihood source in the four panchayats is farming and fishing. Farming is vibrant in coastal villages as there is an abundance of water sources in the two panchayats with ground water from borewells available at even 20 feet. The local Chennayapalem tank has an ayacut of above 1,000 acres. There are also other tanks in the three panchayats that serve farming and keep a healthy water table like the Chevuru Cheruvu, Ravuru Cheruvu each with an ayacut of 500-1000 acres in which paddy is raised. Most residents in the area, including the fishers – pattapollu and pallekaarulu communities – primarily do farming. They raise paddy and groundnut, while most residents of Peda Pattapupalem panchayath also set out and fish in the sea.
Apart from the environmental and livelihood destruction, the project would entail the complete displacement of four villages (Chennaayapalem, Nandemmapuram, Pamuguntapalem, Salipeta), while one village – Ravuru- will be partially displaced. There are about 12 villages in the near vicinity of the project’s proposed boundary and more than 10 villages are located within a 2-3 km radius. While Elkeru river is just 1 km from the proposed factory, the Buckingham Canal is at a distance of a mere 50 metres. All these are densely populated with agriculture and fishing being the principal livelihood sources.
Understandably, the local people we met were uniformly and firmly against the project. They stated emphatically that a petrochemical project in the area with the attendant land acquisition and inevitable pollution will disrupt their economic life irredeemably and would destroy their means of livelihood comprehensively.
Around 2500 acres of land in Chevuru was already acquired by the previous government for the purpose of a Solar Panel manufacturing facility by Indosol Solar Private Limited. However, the land is now being proposed to be allotted to BPCL. This is flagrantly against the law. Acquiring land for one project and then flipping it to another industry – that too a highly hazardous and polluting one – is unacceptable. The government is now attempting to acquire large swathes of land in this region in the name of industrial hub/corridor. This convoluted process is being carried out by the government keeping local residents in the dark. This whole process epitomises a pattern of illegality and blatant abuse of lawful authority that will exact a heavy toll on the livelihoods of local communities and will devastate the environment.
Ever since reports of the BPCL petrochem proposal began appearing in the media, local residents have collectively voiced opposition to it. Fisher-folk and farmers from several
villages in the area have been regularly voicing their opposition in meetings being convened by the district authorities.
It would not be out of place to point out that out of the proposed investment of above Rs. 1 lakh crore for this proposed project, the State government would provide subsidies to the tune of 75 per cent. However, the number of permanent jobs this project is expected to provide is a mere 800 during the construction phase and 1250 during the operation phase!
Going by available data, to even consider acquiring such large extents of land (6000 acres for a 9 mmtpa project) for a petrochem refinery and complex is highly objectionable. To compare, the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL) Manali project of 10 mmtpa in Tamil Nadu is spread across only 800 acres. The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) unit in Visakhapatnam with a capacity of 15 mmtpa is located on about 900 acres. The 15 mmtpa refinery cum petrochem complex of the IOC at Paradip in Odisha is on 3350 acres. The reported land requirement for the present BPCL proposal by the Kavali coast is outrageous.
Why must such large tracts of land be acquired at such grievous cost to people’s lives and futures?
A Ravi – HRF AP State vice-president
Y Rajesh – HRF AP State general secretary
G Rohith – HRF AP State secretary
Md. Iqbal – HRF State Executive Committee member
Nellore,
14-09-2025.