Persistent efforts by Chaitanya Sravanthi to reduce the pollution being generated by the Visakhapatnam Port Trust has led to the VPT implementing changes in the way dusty cargo is handled, resulting in lower pollution.
Data on Continuous Ambient Air Quality (CAAQ) obtained from VPT shows that air pollution has substantially come down in the last few months due to pollution abatement measures adopted by the VPT as per the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
‘Fight for justice’
“The anguish of the locals (residents of Old Town), affected by the Port pollution, and their helplessness in taking on the mighty Port, had reinforced my determination to fight for justice. We had approached NGT, which had issued orders in March, 2017, to implement pollution abatement measures or to move the dusty cargo away from VPT,” Dr. Shirin Rahaman, chairperson of Chaitanya Sravanthi, told the media here on Sunday.
“The NGT had directed the VPT to send quarterly reports on the status of implementation of pollution mitigation measures to it and the AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) apart from sending copies of the same to us. The quarterly reports helped us monitor the situation regularly. The time given to the VPT for implementation of the orders had ended on December 31, 2018 and we received the last quarter report recently,” she said.
“It was not as though we (Chaitanya Sravanthi) were the only ones to agitate against port pollution. There were quite a few others but we backed our complaints with data from the APPCB, and medical reports on the health problems suffered by locals due to pollution,” Dr. Shirin Rahaman said.
Replying to a query, she said it was for the VPT to continue the pollution abatement measures on a continual basis and any violation in future could invite legal action, she said, adding that the onus was on the locals and the media to keep a watch.
Pollution abatement measures adopted by the port include: covering coal stacks with tarpaulins and deployment of truck-mounted fog cannons to prevent flying and spreading of dust during loading/unloading.
Harmful
“Several pollution-related deaths had occurred in Old Town area during the last several years. Respiratory disorders, TB and skin diseases were common in our area and after organising frequent protests, we approached Dr. Shirin Rahaman about five years ago,” recalled Rukaiya Begum, a resident of Chilakapeta and now a representative of Chaitanya Sravanthi. “A layer of coal or iron ore dust could be seen on household belongings all through the year. Food would quickly become contaminated if left uncovered,” she recalled and added, “The situation has improved resulting in our areas looking much cleaner and the incidence of diseases on the decline”.