The Erosion of Rushikonda's Legacy: A Hill that Paid the Price for Power

Article released on February 5, 2025

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are my own and do not represent those of any affiliated organizations or government bodies. The area measurements are an estimate from satellite imagery and, hence, not precise values.

For years, Rushikonda Hill stood as one of Visakhapatnam's most scenic coastal landscapes - an untouched natural barrier against the forces of the sea, rich in vegetation and a part of the city's ecological identity. Rising along the Bay of Bengal, it wasn't just a hill; it was a symbol of Visakhapatnam's connection with nature, offering panoramic views, sheltering species, and serving as a green lung in an otherwise expanding urban landscape.

But today, Rushikonda is no longer what it used to be. What was once a pristine, tree-covered hill has been transformed into a construction site - its slopes chipped away, its forests replaced with concrete, and its natural beauty masked under artificial green mats.

The project behind this transformation was marketed as a tourism initiative, a redevelopment of the Haritha Resort by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC). Officials promised it would boost tourism and enhance Visakhapatanam's appeal (Source: Hindustan Times). However, as construction progressed, serious allegations surfaced - claims that the project was not meant for public tourism at all. Instead, critics argued, it was designed for political luxury, with lavish villas, private suites, and high-end amenities that hardly matched the idea of a typical public resort (Source: News Meter).

For the longest time, the government kept the project hidden from public scrutiny. Journalists were blocked from accessing the site, images of the construction were scarce, and even drones were prevented from capturing aerial footage. When allegations of excessive destruction arose, the authorities responded in a rather unusual way - they covered the parts of the barren slopes with green mats, attempting to create an illusion that the hill remained intact (Source: News Meter).

But satellite imagery tells a different story!

By analyzing high-resolution satellite images, we can now piece together the real timeline of destruction. From the first tree-clearing activities in 2021 to the peak phase of land excavation in 2022, and finally, the cover-up with green mats in 2023, these images expose the scale of environmental loss that was kept out of public view.

This is not just a story about political controversy - it is a case study of how environmental destruction can be hidden, manipulated, and dismissed under the guise of development. And at the heart of it all, it is the people who lose the most - as taxpayers who funded this, as citizens who were denied transparency, and as a community that lost an irreplaceable piece of its natural heritage.

In this article, we uncover:

• How much of Rushikonda Hill was actually destroyed (based on satellite data evidence)?

• How political ambitions shaped the construction, going beyond public purpose?

• How authorities attempted to cover up the damage with misleading visuals?

• What this destruction means for Visakhapatnam's environment and coastline?

This is an investigation driven by facts, visuals, and the truth that no green mat can hide.

Satellite imagery from December 2018 to mid-2021 confirms that Rushikonda remained in its original form, with no visible signs of deforestation or large-scale construction. Only ~3 Acres acres of built-up area existed, mostly consisting of small structures from the original Haritha Resort, which blended naturally into the green surroundings. The rest of the hill remained covered in thick vegetation, playing an important role in supporting Visakhapatnam's coastal ecosystem.

Rushikonda's Environmental Significance

• A Natural Coastal Shield: The hill acted as a barrier against strong winds, storms, and coastal erosion, helping stabilize the shoreline.

• Green Cover & Wildlife Habitat: It supported a thriving ecosystem, providing shelter for birds, small mammals, and native plant species.

• Climate Regulator: The tree cover helped regulate local temperatures, reducing urban heat effects in the city (a common benefit of green spaces in urban areas).

(Sources: Hindustan Times, Deccan Chronicle, The Times of India)

But all of this was about to change. Between mid-2021 and 2022, Rushikonda would undergo an irreversible transformation, losing a substantial part of its natural terrain to a government-backed project.

This was the beginning of the end for Rushikonda as it once existed!

For years, Rushikonda remained untouched, its dense green cover providing protection against coastal erosion and acting as a natural retreat. But everything changed In August 2021 when the first signs of destruction appeared.

The First Scars on the Hill

Satellite imagery from June 25, 2021, and August 22, 2021, confirms that construction activity had begun during this period. The first clearing of trees became visible, marking the start of an irreversible transformation.

• Deforestation began, with large patches of green cover being cleared.

• Initial excavation efforts chipped away at the hill's natural slopes, making space for new construction.

• Road networks started emerging, carving into the untouched landscape.

While no official announcements were made about the scale of the project, the satellite images revealed what the authorities weren't saying - Rushikonda was no longer safe from large-scale development.

By May 2022: The Peak of Destruction

What started as small clearings in mid-2021 exploded into full-scale land excavation by early 2022. Satellite imagery from March to May 2022 shows the most drastic phase of environmental loss:

• By April/May 2022, ~19.1 acres of land had been impacted either by clearing, digging up, or levelling - over 6 times the original built-up area (~ 3 acres).

• Huge chunks of the hill were removed, exposing bare land where dense vegetation once stood.

• The natural contours of the hill were permanently altered, with flattened land replacing the once steep, forested slopes.

• Construction materials and heavy machinery appeared, signalling that this was not a minor redevelopment project but a complete overhaul.

• The destruction was so extensive that even long-time residents of Vishakhapatnam were shocked at the scale of the land loss. Yet, the government remained tight-lipped, refusing to acknowledge the extent of the damage.

Violating Environmental Norms?

With over 19 acres of land altered, serious questions arose:

• Did the construction exceed the permissible limits?

• Were proper environmental clearances obtained?

• Was the project violating Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms?

Reports indicate that the project was only granted approval for 9.88 acres of construction (Source: The Times of India). Yet, satellite evidence suggests that almost double this area was impacted.

Instead of answering these concerns, the government restricted media access to the site, making it harder for journalists and environmentalists to document the ongoing destruction.

The damage was done. Rushikonda, once a lush, green coastal guardian, was now a bare, carved-out construction zone. But what followed next was even more shocking - a massive effort to conceal the destruction from public view.

By late 2022, the destruction of Rushikonda Hill was impossible to ignore. The once-green slopes had been flattened, carved, and stripped of vegetation, leaving behind an expanse of exposed soil and concrete foundations. Locals, activists, and opposition leaders started raising questions, demanding transparency about how much land had actually been destroyed.

Instead of responding with accountability or reforestation plans, the authorities took a different approach - they tried to cover up the damage, quite literally.

The First Appearance of Green Mats

The first signs of coordinated cover-up appeared during December 2022 - February 2023. Satellite imagery confirms that artificial green mats were laid over the most visible slopes of the hill, particularly on the western side, where the main road runs and public movement is high.

• These mats created an illusion of greenery, making it look like the hill was regenerating naturally.

• But the satellite view told the truth - this was not reforestation but a staged effort to conceal environmental destruction.

• Instead of addressing the loss of vegetation, the government chose deception.

A Timeline of the Deception: How the Green Mat Cover-Up Expanded

• February 2023: First mats appeared on the western slope, directly facing the road and public areas.

• March 2023: Expansion towards the northern slopes, strategically covering exposed construction zones.

• May 2023: The pace of mat placement increased, hiding more than half of the excavated areas.

• November 2023: By this point, almost the entire carved area was hidden under green mats.

Satellite images captured the gradual spread of these mats, proving that this was a systematic effort - not a spontaneous environmental restoration.

By late 2023, independent observers, opposition parties, and environmentalists called out the cover-up, bringing national attention to the issue. Reports emerged questioning why the government needed to 'paint' a green hill instead of restoring it naturally.

But by then, the damage had already been done. Rushikonda had lost more than just its trees and slopes - it had lost its ecological role as a coastal buffer and a habitat for wildlife.

And as 2024 approached, the full scale of the destruction would become impossible to ignore.

In the next section, we uncover the present-day fallout - how the government is struggling to repurpose a project that was never meant for public use in the first place.

The Rushikonda redevelopment project was officially inaugurated on February 29, 2024, but instead of being welcomed as a major public tourism initiative, it has become a political and environmental disaster. What was once marketed as a state-of-the-art tourism facility is now seen as an extravagant, oversized complex with no clear purpose. The damage to the hill is permanent, the cover-up attempts have been exposed, and the new government is left scrambling to figure out what to do with the space.

(Sources: News Meter, The Indian Express, Republic World, The Print)

What Remains Today?

With the project completed, satellite imagery from December 2024 offers a final verdict on the physical transformation of Rushikonda.

• ~12 acres of land are now occupied by buildings, roads, and artificial landscape.

• ~3.3 acres are still covered with green mats, likely to mask the excess destruction beyond permitted limits.

•   The once naturally sloping hill now has flat, concrete spaces, permanently altering its original shape.

• Not a single effort has been made for true ecological restoration.

What was once a thriving green hill intertwined with minimal built-up structures is now a luxury resort-like facility, stripped of its natural charm.

With the change in government in 2024, the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) inherited this project from the previous YSRCP-led administration. However, there's a major problem -  this is not a public-friendly resort.

• Lavish interiors, including chandeliers, bathtubs, and luxury furnishings, suggest that the space was designed for an elite audience - not everyday tourists. (Source: News Meter)

• Critics allege that this project was meant to be the private camp office of former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy - which explains why the scale and opulence of the construction do not match that of a regular tourism facility. (Source: Republic World, The Print) 

• Now, the government doesn't know what to do with it. It is too expensive to maintain as a tourism facility, and repurposing it for public use remains unclear. (Source: The Times of India)

The irony is that public money was spent on this development, but the public itself may not have much use for it.

Beyond the political blame game, it is the people of Visakhapatnam - and the environment - that have suffered the biggest loss.

• Rushikonda's role as a natural coastal buffer is gone: The hill's vegetation once protected the coastline from erosion, but now, concrete replaces the trees that once held the soil together.

• The green cover will not return: You cannot regrow a hill that has been carved away. Even if trees are planted now, the terrain itself has been permanently altered.

• This a case study of how unchecked development damages both nature and public trust: The project began without transparency, moved forward without accountability, and now exists without clear utility.

In the end, Rushikonda was lost not just to construction, but to political greed and environmental neglect.

1. Planet Team (2025). Planet Application Program Interface: In Space for Life on Earth. San Francisco, CA. https://api.planet.com