Visakhapatnam: Govt appointed high-level panel visits SEZ

Visakhapatnam: A high-level committee appointed by the state government and led by chairperson Vasudha Mishra visited the Escientia Pharma facility in Atchutapuram SEZ and the Synergene Active Ingredients company in Parawada pharma city on Thursday. Anakapalli district collector Vijaya Krishnan and senior officials accompanied the team.

They gathered information about the incidents from company representatives who shared with them the nature and causes of the accidents. Following the inspections, a meeting was convened at Laurus Labs Unit-II where officials gave a power point presentation detailing the accidents. The discussion focused on identifying the failures and preventive measures necessary to enhance workplace safety.

Mishra highlighted that effective accident prevention requires cooperation from all stakeholders involved in industrial operations. She directed the committee to establish communication channels, including an email ID and WhatsApp group to facilitate ongoing suggestions and advice from industry representatives.

“Preventing accidents in industries can be possible only with everyone’s cooperation,” stated Mishra. She urged industry leaders to actively participate in implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) to mitigate risks.

During a subsequent meeting at Visakhapatnam Pharma Limited, district collector Vijaya Krishnan reiterated the importance of collaborative efforts among industries to enhance safety protocols. She assured attendees that the government would provide comprehensive support aimed at safeguarding both industrial operations and worker welfare.

The high-level committee included key officials such as Chandrasekhar Verma, director of factories, A. V. Patel, additional director of industries, Prasad, chief engineer of the pollution control board and professor Raghavan from IIT Chennai.