Pawan Kalyan’s Fight for Erramatti Dibbalu Pays Off

The iconic Erra Matti Dibbalu (Red Sand Hills) of Visakhapatnam has now got into the UNESCO’s Tentative List of Natural Heritage Sites along with Tirumala Hills, a proud moment for Andhra Pradesh. Behind this recognition lies a long and tireless struggle, where the Jana Sena Party (JSP) played a crucial role in bringing attention to the cause.

For years, these Red Sand Dunes spread over 1,500 acres that have faced serious threats from tourism, film shooting and unregulated construction by real estate encroachers. Activists and experts had warned that these rare geological formations that are dated back to nearly 18,500 years were being reduced down and damaged beyond repair.

JSP leaders and supporters stood at the forefront of the campaign to save them. National convener of Jal Biradari and JSP general secretary Bolisetti Satyanarayana said the movement received strong backing from Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan after coming back into power. He worked closely with national water activist Rajendra Singh and local corporator P. Murthy Yadav, who exposed the illegal exploitation of these dunes.

Back in 2023, Janasena party chief Pawan Kalyan personally visited the notified National Geo-Heritage Monument near the Bay of Bengal, described the Red Sand Hills as a “unique treasure” and stressed that society still lacked the proper understanding to protect them. He observed that the mounds, once spread across nearly 1,200 acres, had now shrunk to a mere 292 acres due to neglect and encroachment.

There is a need for creating a buffer zone at the places where Erra Matti Dibbalu are located. A protective fence should be erected. He warned that If the YSR Congress Party government does not respond, we will approach the National Green Tribunal. It’s time the destruction and exploitation of nature in north Andhra is stopped ​​and our responsibility to protect this national wealth.

His persistent voice against land grabbing and ecological destruction gave momentum to the campaign and brought out many environmental damages done by the earlier YSRCP government from encroaching the mangrove forest of Kakinada to drilling various hills over the state for illegal mining.

Now with JSP’s Government political push, it has been that the issue reaches national and international platforms. Now, with the site officially included in UNESCO’s Tentative List on August 27, 2025, activists say this recognition will give the Red Sand Hills a much-needed layer of protection.