Andhra cancels coastal corridor project

Hyderabad: Faced with resentment from several quarters, the Andhra Pradesh government cancelled the coastal corridor project, the 974 km stretch from Ichapuram in Srikakulam in the north to Tada in Nellore in the south.

The order (GO Rt No 34) was issued by the infrastructure and investment department to identify suitable infrastructure projects along the corridor.

The coastal corridor project, which was to have special economic zones, a Petroleum, Chemical, Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR), Vadarevu-Nizampatnam Industrial Corridor (Vanpic) seaport corridor and others, was expected to create over 100,000 jobs and attract Rs 12 lakh crore investments.

It was planned to create rail, road, air and waterways in the PCPIR region between Kakinada and Visakhapatnam (175 km) in public-private partnership for moving the end products.

About 5 million acre was to be acquired for this project and this would have displace about 20 million people, particularly fishermen and farmers.

Besides several rights groups, there had been stiff opposition from environment groups who feared that the effluents from these industries would have posed a threat to marine life.