Removal of the critically polluted tag by Central Pollution Control Board notwithstanding, industrial pollution has remained a matter of serious concern in Visakhapatnam.
With the city projected to become a major petrochemical, pharma and logistics hub in future, special category status to Andhra Pradesh and special package to North Andhra, the issue of keeping pollution under check will remain key to development.
The CPCB, which declared a moratorium on Greenfield and Brownfield industries in 2010, lifted the ban in September, 2013 after it found improvement in emission levels. “This was possible due to investment of Rs 800 crore and implementation of an action plan, at our instance, as part of pollution control measures,” Environment Engineer of AP Pollution Control Board K. Ravi Kumar told The Hindu .
The city is said to be sitting on a powder keg due to mushrooming industries and its topography dotted with hill ranges on three sides and sea on one side leaving no scope for one to escape in the event of a major catastrophe. “This is our drawback but we are taking all precautions to contain pollution mainly by Visakhapatnam Port and HPCL Visakh Refinery,” Mr. Ravi Kumar said.
The city’s dust pollution is 120 to 140 mg per metre cube as against prescribed level of 100. Mechanised handling of iron ore and coal at the port is expected to contain it drastically in future.
Quoting a study done on the basis of ISRO's satellite imagery, former IAS officer E.A.S. Sarma said Vizag had been among the few cities in India where aerosol concentration (an indicator of air pollution) had been increasing most rapidly.
