A year after the tragic incident that claimed the lives of five daily wage workers in an aqua food processing unit, people here are still in the grip of fear.
The workers, of Nannavarithota Cheruvu village, were cleaning a tank when they reportedly inhaled ammonia gas released from a nearby chamber. The tank turned into a gas chamber and they died inside it.
Following the tragedy, the processing unit was closed by the district administration after pollution control board and labour departments gave a detailed report on the accident. However after six months, around September, the management reopened the factory with permission from the labour department.
The reopening of the unit has sent shock waves and the daily wage workers wonder how safe they are though the shrimp food processing unit claims it has taken necessary steps. “Still we are doing the same job, which we had done before the incident and don’t know what safety precautions have been taken after reopening the factory,” said Thota Ramarao, a relative of Thota Srinu, who was among the five workers killed.
CPI(M) secretary Balaram recalled that the committee formed by the State government immediately visited the factory and submitted a report in which it mentioned that the factory had violated all norms pertaining to letting out effluents and storage tank. He said a team of his party as well as YSR Congress Party visited the factory and found many lapses. Mr. Balaram said that the CPI(M) still doubted whether the management was complying with norms. He maintained that the management was letting out effluents into a well while informing the administration that they had arranged an effluent treatment plant.
Compensation
Narsapuram Sub-Collector Sumit Gandhi said the government paid compensation to the deceased families immediately after the incident. Only after the Labour department and the PCB gave clearance certificate, did the district administration permit the factory to reopen. However, he said he would ask the two departments once again to inspect the safety measures put in place by the factory after reopening.
