Machilipatnam: Machilipatnam MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry has taken up the land acquisition issues being faced by farmers at SN Gollapalem in Kruthivennu mandal of Krishna district, where development works at the NH-65 and NH-216 junction are proposed.
The MP met Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) Director General Vinay Kumar Rajawat in New Delhi on Thursday and explained the concerns of farmers likely to be affected by further land acquisition. Balashowry said farmers in the area had already lost portions of their land twice for the construction of NH-65 and NH-216.
Further acquisition for the proposed junction works would fragment their remaining agricultural holdings into small parcels, making them less viable for cultivation and affecting their livelihoods, he said. He suggested exploring a ‘Median-Landing Flyover’ design by utilising the existing road median.
The alternative, he said, could substantially reduce the need for fresh land acquisition while remaining technically feasible.
If land acquisition was unavoidable, the MP urged the authorities to acquire land equally on both sides of the road instead of concentrating it on one side.
One-sided acquisition could affect farmers’ access to their fields and cause losses to businesses along the road frontage, he said.
Balashowry also proposed a joint field inspection involving farmers, engineers and NHAI officials to examine the feasibility of the alternative design and assess the ground situation.
Responding to his request, MoRTH DG Vinay Kumar Rajawat contacted Regional Officer RK Singh and directed him to personally visit SN Gollapalem, examine the problems faced by farmers and submit a comprehensive report.
