Can Visakhapatnam escape the grip of polluting industries this election?
The city’s hazardous industrial units have become a major election issue this time, with candidates promising stricter enforcement of safety protocols for these industries
Visakhapatnam: Industrial accidents at regular intervals and the pollution caused by hazardous industries have remained a matter of concern in the undivided Visakhapatnam district making it an important issue during elections this time.
The contesting candidates in Gajuwaka, Pendurthi, Anakapalle, Chodavaram, Madugula and Bheemunipatnam Assembly segments have been promising to bring pressure on the authorities for strict adherence to SOPs recommended for the hazardous units. Notably, Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath, who is seeking election from Gajuwaka segment, has been promising to initiate stringent action against erring industries.
However, social activists say the promise of a third party safety audit has become an empty rhetoric. During leakage of poisonous gas near Brandix India Apparel City (BIAC) leading to hospitalisation of many from Atchutapuram, all the industries were cautioned to take fool-proof measures. But accidents are occurring at regular intervals.
The leakage of styrene monomer vapour from LG Polymers unit at Venkatapuram village in the city in May, 2020, left 12 people dead following which the unit was shut down on the orders of the court.
In separate incidents, two persons died and five received serious injuries at Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City (JNPC) at Parawada on Sunday.
“Visakhapatnam and surrounding areas have become notorious for pharma units that kill workers and extinguish people’s lives by damaging their health through pollution. BJP and other political parties have recently been exposed to have taken hundreds of crores of rupees from pharma units through electoral bonds, which amount to bribes for condoning those units from regulation. People should realise this and vote this time more carefully than in the past. We should not vote killers to power,” noted social activist and former IAS officer EAS Sarma, told Bizz Buzz on Monday.
Many environmental activists say Visakhapatnam is sitting on a powder keg as there is no escape route in the event of a major catastrophe as the city has a spoon-shaped topography with hill ranges on three sides and sea on the other. There is an urgent and growing need to shut down hazardous units which are not adhering to SOPs on safety and releasing untreated effluents into the sea.
“The release of effluents due to lax attitude of the officials concerned is resulting in fish-kill at various places,” regretted Arjili Dasu, a fishermen activist.
“It’s high time to take serious action against erring industries and restrict new pharma and petrochemical units from coming up in already congested areas in and around Visakhapatnam,” CITU Anakapalli district general secretary K Loknadham, said.
