Visakhapatnam: The AP Pollution Control Board has issued notices to two factories in Vizag for discharging effluents into a village tank that eventually led to the death of thousands of fish in a pond downstream.
The PCB also issued notices to the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation following a report published in this newspaper on the death of the thousands of fish.
The PCB issued show cause notices to Vijaya Visakha Milk Producers Co. Ltd. (Visakha Dairy) and Liberty Frozen Foods Pvt. Ltd. on July 30. The PCB identified that the village tank of Akkireddypalem is filled with effluents.
In its notice to Liberty Frozen Foods, the PCD sought an explanation on the operation of the industry without valid revocation of stop production order and non-compliance of board directions. PCB officials inspected the industry on July 24 and noticed that about 35 KLD of effluents were being generated and there was no adequate land to use the treated effluents within the premises. The Board officials suspected discharge of effluents into the sewerage.
The PCB also sent the GVMC a notice, reminding that it was the responsibility of the civic body to set up facilities for collection, transportation and treatment of effluents to stop pollution of water bodies. The notice said that the GVMC failed to comply with the directions given under Section 33 (A) of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 1988. The GVMC is bound to comply with the directions and is required to submit compliance status to the PCB every 30 days.
The PCB officials stated that during the inspection it was observed that the GVMC was carrying out development work at Mindi Cheruvu and diverted the water flow partly into the fields, which was finding its way into Akkireddypalem tank leading to the death of the fish.
