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Hence the writ petition.

3. The respondents 6 and 7 filed counter along with vacate stay petition contending thus:

(a) A bridge across Vasista, the branch of Godavari river, was proposed to be constructed by the State and Central Governments. In the absence of such bridge, all these years, there is a ferry service for the commuters at the points of Sakinetipalli-Narsapuram. Initially, the bridge was proposed to be constructed on the upstream side of ::5::
Sakinetipalli-Narsapuram ferry points. Subsequently in the year 2008 the said proposal was stopped and it was proposed to construct on the downstream side at a distance of 200 meters from Sakinetipalli- Narsapuram ferry points. The said proposal was to connect the existing Kakinada - Amalapuram - Narsapuram state highway road on East Godavari to West Godavari side. It covers Sakinetipalli Lanka, Sakinetipalli, Tekisettipalem, Malkipuram, Gidimellanka, Medicherlapalem and Sivakodu Lock. A DPR was prepared in this regard. The alignment was approved by the 3rd respondent. The Regional Officer, Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways, Vijayawada communicated the alignment plans to respondents 6 and

Therefore, the respondents have to acquire the land covered by the remaining 5 survey numbers only which is not a daunting task.

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9. In oppugnation, the arguments of the official respondents are that in order to construct Narsapuram Bypass road to connect East and West Godavari Districts and also with an avowed object to construct a road bridge on Vasista, the branch of river Godavari, the project was undertaken with an outlay of Rs.450 Crores. The total distance is about 23 kilometers covering the East Godavari and west Godavari districts, out of which the length of the bridge over Vasista is 1.1 kilometers. A small section of 700 meters of the road passes through the agricultural land of the petitioner. The road-cum-bridge project is multipurpose project i.e., to connect the Sakinetipalli and Narsapuram by a bridge, as hitherto, the people are ferrying in between by undertaking risks and to connect Kakinada-Amalapuram- Narsapuram road to provide fast transportation. The petitioner alone objected the said project on an untenable ground that the water body in his land will be effected and thereby agriculture to an extent of Ac.3.00 cents will also be effected. In fact, in two tanks he is doing aquaculture and there is no water for irrigation. It is further argued by the respondents that the contention of the petitioner that the existing alignment is a curved one and if new alignment is accepted it will be in a straight line and thereby the distance will be reduced by one ::12::

12. I gave my anxious consideration to the above pleadings, documents and above divergent arguments submitted.
13. Facts not in dispute are that a project was envisaged by respondent authorities with an avowed object of widening the national highway from Dindi through Gudimellanka of East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh in order to reduce the heavy traffic plying in this stretch and also to form a bypass to Narsapuram and to construct a road bridge on the Vasista, the branch of river Godavari and to connect the existing Kakinada-Amalapuram-Narsapuram State Highway Road on East Godavari to West Godavari side. Thus the ::14::