The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board has issued a strict notice to The Vizag Port and action has been initiated already.

The locals of Chilakapeta in Visakhapatnam have filed fresh complaints against the air pollution caused by the Vizag Port with possible non-adherence to CFO conditions. The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board has issued a strict notice to The Vizag Port after this. Advisory notice has been issued to Vizag Port Trust after a board meeting recently. For further investigation, the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board has requested a report from King George Hospital and others for details and numbers of consequent respiratory diseases.

Allegations abound regarding how GVMC and Vizag Port Trust are dealing with the matter very lightly rather than understand and acknowledge the gravity. The huge amount of cargo handling by Vizag Port as well as manual handling leads to pollution despite of suppression systems and regular water spray. The problem’s intensity is maximum in the half kilometer around the port. Visalhapatnam Port Trust has already constituted an internal task force team for monitoring operations.

Actions and guidelines

#1 Dusty cargo to be moved to the inner periphery of the harbor.

#2 Ensuring tarpaulin cover until stock clearance or transfer.

#3 Restricting stockable height to 6 meters.

#4 Water spraying system to be made fool proof and in place.

#4 Massive plantation drive.

#5 Extension of wind breaking wall of height 7.5 m by 500 meters.

Many more actions that will deal with the prescribed guidelines and contain pollution in future are under course of execution.

Information first published in The Times of India.