Industrial pollution was high in the city and it still tops the list in the State, but it has come down considerably after the key industrial players have put the pollution control measures in place.
This was the opinion of BSS Prasad, member secretary of AP Pollution Control Board.
Mr. Prasad was here on Wednesday to deliver a talk at the inaugural session of a workshop on ‘Chemical Safety and Disaster Mitigation in Pharma Industry Challenges and Opportunities’.
According to Mr. Prasad, Visakhapatnam Port Trust was the key player when it comes to dust pollution. But VPT has taken all measure to suppress the dust by installing the required number of sprinklers, erecting conveyor system, putting nets, washing the tyres of the trucks with water and covering the open cargo with plastic sheets and these measures have reduced the dust pollution sizeably and have brought the suspended particulate matter in the ambient air below the permissible limits, he said.
Similarly, HPCL adopted all measures to reduce the sulphur content in the atmosphere, said Mr. Prasad.
According to Mr. Prasad, “the Benz Circle road accounts for the highest dust pollution in the State and we have asked the government to create a bypass to reduce the flow of traffic on the road”.
Pharma effluent
On the effluent being pumped into the sea by Pharma companies in Visakhapatnam, Mr. Prasad said the toxic water wasbeing treated and pumped only after the toxicity was removed from the waste.
“We are following a double check method, before pumping the effluents into the sea. In Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City in Parawada, there are about 70 pharma companies and none of the plants has individual pumping station and Ramky charges the companies based on the toxic content.
So to reduce the payment, each company maintains the desired level,” he said.
He further said the treatment plant was monitored by APPCB officials and experts from Ramky. “The entire process is under CC TV cover and it is relayed to pollution control board in Delhi and Hyderabad,” said Mr. Prasad.
Paryavaran app
The member secretary of APPCB told The Hindu that a ‘Paryavaran’ app is being developed and very soon will be put in the public domain. Any one can access the app and check the pollution level in his or her city or town.
“We intend to sent up automatic monitoring equipment in all the districts and right now we have about three installed in Vizag, two in Vijayawada, one each in Guntur and Tirupati,” said Mr. Prasad.
