Pollution touches hazardous levels in Visakhapatnam

Times of India , Friday, January 18, 2013
Correspondent : TNN
VISAKHAPATNAM: This once sleepy fishing hamlet, as Vizag was referred to in its earlier days, was considered to be the ideal getaway for people wanting to better their health. So salubrious was the climate of the city that most of the royal families from Orissa and the affluent lot from Bengal built summer homes to soak in the city's lovely weather, sun-kissed beaches and the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal.

But that was six to seven decades ago. Today, Vizagites can't wait to get away to fill their pollution choked lungs with fresh air as their city has now gained the dubious distinction of being one of the top 10 most polluted cities in the country.

Swept away by the rapid development that hit the city's shores and catapulted it to the second fastest 'emerging city' in India, the City of Destiny is today staring at a very grimy future indeed.

Already the fast clip of industrial growth in combination with the increasing number of vehicles on the road has turned the Port City into a polluted bowl filled to the brim with all kinds of pollutants. "The city is plagued with almost all kinds of pollution. There is air pollution, the ground water is polluted, plastic abuse is rampant and the latest is e-waste (electronic waste). Show me one area that can be called pollution free?" queries former bureaucrat C S Rao angrily.

Rao's anguish and anger is understandable. Vizag is bursting at the seams with population up from a mere one lakh in the 1940s to 20 lakh today and the number of vehicles zooming from about 30,000 in the 1970s to over 5.5 lakh. Most of the major industries such as Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT), HPCL, Coromandel Fertiliser and Visakhapatnam Steel Plant spew noxious fumes and chemicals into the city.

The once vibrant Old Town area today wears the look of a battered World War II town with dusty roads, worn out buildings and emaciated people -- all thanks to VPT's expansion dreams that have sent air pollution levels soaring since its general cargo berth (GCB) was inaugurated in the outer harbour area.

The residents of Kotaveedhi, Soldierpet and Gannapuram, who were already suffering from iron ore dust pollution, now have to contend with even more pollution thanks to coal and sulphur handling at the GCB. Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) in the air has exceeded well over the permissible limit of 60 microns per metre cube in some areas sending scores of people suffering from a variety of lung and gastro diseases. Many Vizagites blame the lack of foresight for the current state of affairs. "Industrial growth took off in a haphazard manner. There was no foresight or planning. Targeting every inch of vacant land neighbouring human habitats, the government went on setting up one plant after another without giving a thought to its after effects," points out former mayor DV Subba Rao.

Apart from the dirty air swirling around, there is no respite on the drinking water front either as the groundwater is highly polluted with traces of heavy metals found in drinking water in areas such as Old Town, Mindhi and Gajuwaka.

Even the pristine beaches and sparkling blue waters of the bay have not been left untouched by the ravage of pollution. The rampant release of effluents into the sea by power and pharma companies are slowly choking marine life with fish catch in the region going down by over 50 per cent, points out T Shankar, president of the Fishermen Youth Welfare Association.

The dumping of plastic and polythene bags across the city, including beaches, is not only taking its toll on endangered species like the olive riddley turtles, that are dying after consuming these plastic bags, but even cattle and dogs are falling prey to this menace, explains Pradip Nath of Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals.

With over 70 software companies and numerous schools and corporate offices in the city, e-waste could now be the next big form of pollution looming large over the city's environs in the coming years, warns environmentalist Sohan Hatangadi.

With the once beautiful environs of Vizag under siege by pollution, only a miracle can rewrite the destiny of the City of Destiny.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/Pollution-touches-hazardous-levels-in-Visakhapatnam/articleshow/18068362.cms
 


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