Bowing to public pressure, the State government cracked down on Nagarjuna Agrichem Limited where a reactor exploded and gas leaked on Saturday.
The A. P. Pollution Control Board on Monday asked the company to stop all the production activities till further orders. Board Executive Engineer Lakshminarayana issued the orders. Joint Chief Inspector of Factories D. Chandrasekhar Varma also issued orders for a third party inquiry into the accident.
Though the two departments of the State government issued prohibitory orders, the local people did not stop their agitation and organised ‘rasta roko’ on NH 16 near Kella demanding complete closure of the company that had polluted groundwater and air in 18 villages in and around Chilakapalem.
The convoy of Minister for Minor Irrigation T.G. Venkatesh was caught in the traffic jam for more than half-an-hour. Staff of the Minister and local people had a heated argument. Later, the Minister assured the protesters that he would convey their feelings to the government and interact with the local Ministers -- Dharmana Prasada Rao and Kondru Muralimohan
