Visakhapatnam: Ministers to stay overnight in styrene vapour-hit villages

Visakhapatnam: Following the instructions of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, four Ministers will stay in villages affected by styrene vapour leak on Monday night and ensure that they are safe for the residents to return. District in-charge Minister K Kannababu, Tourism Minister M Srinivasa Rao, Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development Botcha Satyanarayana and Minister for Roads and Buildings Dharmana Krishna Das will stay overnight in the villages. In addition, local MP M V V Satyanarayna also intends to join the Ministers.

Kannababu told the reporters that they would stay put in the villages to take stock of the situation and ensure that the they were safe for the villagers. Meanwhile, clean-up operation began in full swing in all the five villages within the vicinity of the LG Polymers. Municipal Commissioner G Srijana supervised the containment measures. The Commissioner also paid a visit to a few households near the plant to check the presence of styrene vapour traces along with the Pollution Control Board officials.

Botcha Satyanrayana said the YSRCP government had appointed a high-power committee to investigate the gas leak incident in detail and rectify the mistakes committed by the TDP government which extended support to the expansion of the LG Polymers in 2017 and the subsequent year. The civic staff sanitised RR Venkatapuram and adjoining villages and created awareness among the locals on how to clean the residuals if any.