The Port City Faces Threat!

Visakhapatnam

We have heard a lot about Vizag being the 3rd cleanest city but what lies behind this beautiful fact is that the city is facing threat – be it in terms of air, soil, water or sound.

With no check on industrial accidents that arise at regular intervals, the largest industrial hub in Andhra Pradesh is reportedly sitting on a dust tub. Social audit and third party inspection of new facilities promised by the powers-that-be has remained unfulfilled. With industries spread over the Port City on three sides and the sea on one side, Vizag reportedly has spoon- shaped topography; leaving no scope for people to escape in the event of a major devastation.

Large quantities of fishes are killed regularly due to the release of toxic substances from the industries and the sewage water into the sea, despite what the oceanography institute claims. Noise pollution has crossed 200 decibel in NAD Kotha Road and other busy areas.

The city will reportedly soon have a dearth of water in both quality and quantity, along with a loss of green cover. This will be due to the damage of local reservoirs which play a huge role in providing water supply to houses.

Not only this, industrial and traffic pollution is rapidly spreading far and wide into air and water entering the food chain and causing fatal diseases like cancer. The city is also generating so much of organic, inorganic and bio-medical waste that GVMC is unable to handle it except dumping it carelessly.

In the absence of sound urban planning, more and more secondary population are being forced to live in slums where the environment is vitiated and the living conditions are literally ‘sub-Saharan’. Meanwhile, on the eve of World Environment Day, Visakhapatnam has planted around 1,200 plants to control pollution.