Visakhapatnam: HRF expresses concern over rising pollution

Visakhapatnam: Vizag has the dubious distinction of being the most polluted city in South India according to a recent Greenpeace India study. Next in the list is Hyderabad.

Both cities have exceeded the permissible limits set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in terms of key atmospheric air quality parameters, PM10 and PM2.5 by seven to eight times.

In view of this, the Human Rights Forum (HRF) expressed deep concern over the increasing levels of air pollution shrouding the city of Visakhapatnam.

HRF AP state general secretary K Sudha and HRF AP and Telangana coordination committee member VS Krishna pointed out that the government's failure to protect people from exposure to hazardous air in the city violates the citizens' human rights to life and health. Fossil fuel powered infrastructural development, ever expanding industries, increasing vehicular density, waste burning and construction are responsible for the degradation in air quality, they mentioned.

Coal dust generated by operations of the Visakhapatnam Port Trust spreads across the city because of sea winds. In spite of the intervention by the National Green Tribunal, there has been no improvement, the HRF members pointed out.

It is now scientifically evident that even short term exposure to low levels of PM2.5 and PM10 is linked to a higher risk of lung cancer, cardiac and brain ailments.

"This horrendous situation amounts to a public health emergency. Air pollution levels in Vizag pose a grave threat to our lives and urgent steps are called for to improve the condition.

So far, there has been gross official failure on this front with the government flouting its duty to protect the lives and health of citizens," the HRF members mentioned and demanded that authorities initiate and take forward credible, effective and timely measures to halt this breaching of nominal and legal air pollution limits.