Pollution bomb turns into a matter of grave concern in AP's main industrial hub

The city is known for its spoon-shaped topography with the hills dotting three sides and the sea on the other allowing pollutants to get trapped, limiting the escape route in the event of a major catastrophe.

Visakhapatnam is the major industrial hub with robust infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh with the existence of two ports, shipyards and naval bases. The undivided Visakhapatnam district also has committed investment by ArcelorMittal & Nippon Steel India and NTPC Green Energy Limited of a combined investment of nearly Rs 3 lakh crore.

The nuclear power plant at Kovvada between the city and Srikakulam also envisages an investment of over Rs.1 lakh crore by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).

There is no let-up in unabated pollution and industrial accidents in the region causing serious concern among green activists.

The HPCL Visakh Refinery blast in 1996, killing at least 60 due vapour cloud exploration is still fresh among the elderly population. Subsequently, be it Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, various units at Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City and Andhra Special Economic Zone, Hetero Drugs and Brandix India Apparel City, there have been several fatal incidents.

The leakage of styrene monomer vapor from LG Polymers unit in the city in 2020 had forced the government and judicial institutions to shut down the unit.

"Due to air pollution from Visakhapatnam port activity and traffic fumes, Vizag air quality has deteriorated of late. For example, according to a recent study, Vizag has figured among the top 10 highly polluted cities in India," former IAS officer and social activist EAS Sarma told Bizz Buzz.

He said this is in addition to water being contaminated with pollutants from sewage water for which 100% treatment facility is not there. A highly polluting steel industry in Vizianagaram district has been found to be letting out untreated effluents into a stream that feeds Meghadri Gedda Reservoir.

Dr Sarma said "even groundwater aquifers have not been left untouched, as untreated sewage water seepage and salinity from ingress from seawater due to non-enforcement of CRZ have caused their pollution."

The activist said on World Environment Day, the citizens should demand corrective action from authorities who seemed to have reacted to contamination of Tirupati Laddu, when a far more threat is being posed to people's health due to above factors.

Prof. EUB Reddy, a retired professor in Andhra University in environmental sciences, said the situation is moving from bad to worst due to callous attitude of the authorities to ensure accountability with AP Pollution Control Board and other regulators to ensure enforcement of pollution control measures.

K. Anuradha, a human rights activist who recently published a book on industrial pollution, told Bizz Buzz that the officials are not cooperating when they seek information under Right to Information Act on action taken reports on major industrial accidents. The promise of third party audit and social audit, whenever a fatal accident takes place, has only become an empty rhetoric, she bemoaned.