On World Environment Day, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday gave a call to the people to act against Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government for "illegal sand mining and destruction of mangroves" in the last one year.
"The wanton felling of mangrove forests at Kakinada and indiscriminate sand mining were examples of YCP rule's destructive activities. A large number of trees were destroyed in a radius of many kilometres around LG Polymers following the gas leak tragedy," Naidu said in a statement.
He stressed that adequate steps were needed to revive and protect the greenery.
Cornering the state government over Visakhapatnam gas leak tragedy, the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister said: "Victims were dying weeks after the poisonous gas leak at LG Polymers in Visakhapatnam. Instead of taking strong measures to prevent pollution, the YCP regime was encouraging the destruction of the environment in the surroundings of populated areas."
He further recalled how the previous TDP government implemented Neeru Chettu and urban forestry in a big way. "Farm ponds were dug up all over to recharge the groundwater table. Forests were developed over 2,141 sq km," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )