In a significant development and a major relief for residents of Thadi village, who have been living for years amid pollution from pharmaceutical units in the Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City (JNPC) at Parawada, the Anakapalli district administration has initiated steps to rehabilitate and relocate the affected families.

District Collector Vijaya Krishnan, Pendurthi MLA Panchakarla Ramesh Babu, representatives of Thadi village and officials from various departments held a special meeting at the Collectorate on Thursday (August 6, 2026) to discuss the decade long-pending demand for relocation of the village.

The meeting primarily focused on relocating Thadi residents under the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) programme to Pedda Mushidivada village in Pendurthi mandal. The administration proposed developing a full-fledged R&R colony at the location, equipped with basic infrastructure and essential civic amenities. The officials and village representatives also discussed measures to provide a permanent solution to the problems being faced by the residents and ensure that the rehabilitation process was carried out in a systematic manner.

Revenue officials informed the meeting that 56 acres of government land had been identified at Pedda Mushidivada for establishing the proposed R&R colony. The Collector directed the Parawada Tahsildar to prepare and submit the layout for the colony within seven days, following the applicable rules and regulations.

The meeting also reviewed the number of Project Displaced Families (PDFs) identified in 2016 and discussed the present status of families eligible for rehabilitation benefits. The administration is expected to verify the eligible beneficiaries as part of the rehabilitation process.

Ms. Vijaya Krishnan said the meeting was convened in accordance with the directions of the State government and the assurance given to the residents of Thadi to address their long-standing concerns.

Located a few km away from the JNPC comprising of many pharma units, Thadi village residents suffer from air and water pollution allegedly caused by emissions and discharges from pharmaceutical units in the surrounding area. The villagers have been demanding rehabilitation for several years, citing concerns over pollution and its impact on their quality of life.

Over the years, a number of families have already moved out of the village, unable to cope with the pollution and the associated concerns. Some residents have also reported respiratory and skin-related problems and concerns over the quality of water available in the village. However, several families who cannot afford to pay rent elsewhere or are reluctant to leave their ancestral homes continue to live in Thadi. With many original residents moving out, several houses have been rented out to workers employed in the pharmaceutical units in JNPC, while the owners have shifted to other parts of the city or nearby areas.

Joint Collector Shauryaman Patel, representatives of the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), officials from the Mines and Geology department, Parawada Tahsildar and officials from other concerned departments participated in the meeting.

Published - August 08, 2026 03:04 pm IST