Stringent action would be taken against industries causing pollution in the city and no new industry would be allowed if the present situation continued, Minister for HRD Ganta Srinivasa Rao said after reviewing measures to be taken to control pollution, with representatives of public and private industries on Tuesday.
A high-level meeting would be held soon to find a solution for controlling pollution and industries would be made to implement all the statutory anti-pollution measures. Also safety of employees in industries would be ensured, he told reporters.
Earlier, during the review meeting, attended by Collector N. Yuvaraj, Chairman of Visakhapatnam Port Trust M.T. Krishna Babu, representatives of industries, MLAs, and Additional Joint Collector Y. Narasimha Rao, Mr. Srinivasa Rao regretted that Visakhapatnam which was hailed as city of destiny gained negative reputation as a city of pollution with the indiscriminate release of pollutants by industries. Raising plants was one method to control pollution and the industries should take this into account. They should achieve the target of raising 40 lakh plants as planned in and around the industries and city.
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The Minister spent more than four hours listening to the representatives of industries on the anti-pollution measures being taken by each industry.