New Delhi: Amid palpable anxiety writ large among the people, nothing is normal like before in the five villages of Venkatapuram, Venkatadri Nagar, Nandamuri Nagar, Pydimamaba Colony and BC colony after Thursday’s Styrene leak accident from an LG Polymers factory from an industrial site in Visakhapatnam.
At least 11 people died and hundreds hospitalized in the accident even as the government is moving to study the implications in the short, medium and long term.
A team appointed by the central government comprising experts from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) and officials from the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) have made several recommendations that are to be strictly implemented.
After making a field study, the team’s report submitted in its finding to the Centre that while the concentration of Styrene at ground level at 1.5 feet and at 4.5 feet height above ground was measured, it was found that in the open area along the road, near the residences all values are ‘nil’. “But in a few closed houses were opened and the same measurement was carried out and it was found that maximum 1.7 PPM of Styrene was found in one residence.”
While ruling that the residences are safe to move in after proper ventilation and cleaning, it had words of supreme caution that included regular health check-up of the Styrene affected/exposed individuals “for a period of up to one year”.
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“Vegetables and fruits in kitchen gardens and nearby farms of the about 3 km or within these five villages should neither be consumed nor fed to the cattle around… Affected small size plants should be uprooted and disposed off, with the destroyed waste to be handed over safely to the GVMC for safe disposal.”
“Use of milk and its products from the affected areas should be avoided until further review report is available…Open water sources should not be used for drinking and cooking purposes… monitoring of air, water and soil will be carried out by an appropriate committee suggested by NGT (National Green Tribunal).”
The team sought for monitoring of environment (air, water and soil) in the affected areas in the short, medium and long term.
Besides these, the team also asked for cleaning the entire affected area with sodium hypochlorite and stopping power supply in all affected areas “while cleaning the premises with water”.
The team also sought cleaning and ventilating all four-wheeler vehicles before use.
ETV Bharat had earlier reported that the exact cause of the accident may be difficult to identify as the Styrene leak accident is a very rare one. It had quoted Anantram Ganapati, a Visakhapatnam-based chemical engineer who worked in the same plant for 11 years: “Although efforts are on to find out what triggered the overheating, I do not think it can be easily found out. There is no fire or anything… It is a very very rare occurrence and rather unheard of in the industry.”
Meanwhile, a National Green Tribunal (NGT) team is also expected to visit the accident site today (Monday). Earlier, the NGT, in a suo-moto action, had imposed an interim fine of Rs 50 crore on LG Polymers while pointing out that there were compliance issues besides violation of statutory provisions.
