Andhra Pradesh factory fire: Hundreds protest seeking closure of chemical plant

Hundreds of villagers held a dharna as a government team began an investigation and held a public hearing in Akkireddigudem. The residents of Surepalli and Gogulampadu villages as well as those from other nearby villages in Munusuru Mandal also sought the closure of the plant.

As a team comprising Eluru joint collector, sub-collectors of Eluru and Nuzvid, officials from the state Pollution Control Board, Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL), factories department and groundwater department inspected the plant, local residents surrounded the premises of Porus Laboratories Private Limited and raised their demand.

The team later conducted a public hearing where the villagers unanimously repeated the demand. Residents complained that the water pollution caused by the plant caused them to develop health problems, besides leading to losses in agriculture and livestock rearing. They also complained of loss of livelihood due to the plant. Samples of the polluted water were presented to the officials.

Rohith Gutta of Human Rights Forum (HRF), which has taken up the issue with the district officials, said: “In the end, everyone wanted the plant to be permanently closed.” The forum pointed out the possible lapses in the maintenance of the plant and the laxity of departments like the pollution control board in dealing with such companies.

The fire on the night of April 13 was allegedly caused by a power failure and a malfunction in the backup system, the forum said. The failure of both systems heated up a reactor which exploded, causing the massive fire, stated the HRF. A two-member HRF team visited the village on April 16 and spoke to villagers, families of victims, employees of the plant and ex-employees of the plant to ascertain facts.

“On the night of the incident when the reactors and chiller system were functioning. there was power loss. A continuous supply of brine solution at minus 16 degrees from the chiller system to reactors is essential. When the power went off, the workers tried to power the system using alternate power systems only to realize that the batteries need to be exchanged. By the time it was done a reactor heated up and went into flames,” a statement from the HRF said.

Joint collector Arun Babu said the district administration and pollution board have already issued orders to the plant management to keep it closed. Pollution Control Board chairman A K Parida said that the power and water connections to the plant have been disconnected.