Amaravati, February 14, 2026: Farmers in Eluru district blocked the collectorate on Friday, demanding the Navy drop plans for a major armament depot in Jeelugumilli mandal.
The project spans 1,200 acres in phases over a decade, including weapons storage and housing. Locals warn it will destroy high-yield agricultural land, disrupt irrigation from existing canals, and end two annual crop cycles.
Protesters highlight risks to tribal rights and missing Gram Sabha consent under PESA rules. Discussions reportedly shifted to nearby Koyyalagudem mandal, sparking fresh objections from villages like Regulakunta and Bodigum.
A local farmer stressed that further land loss would shatter livelihoods already strained by prior Polavaram canal acquisitions.
