Bhagiradha Chemicals is not polluting groundwater: Collector Dinesh Kumar

Ongole(Prakasam District): Prakasam District Collector AS Dinesh Kumar participated in the first day of the Safety and Hazard Audit of the Factories in the district at Bhagiradha Chemicals and Industries Limited at Cheruvukommu Palem on Tuesday. Along with the officials from Pollution Control Board, Industries departments and Inspector of factories, he inspected the factory premises and enquired about the safety measures in place. He ruled out the myths that Bhagiradha Chemicals is polluting ground water in the neighbouring villages. The factory had spent about Rs 10 crore to comply with the necessary guidelines stipulated by the government, he added.

Following a series of accidents in factories across the State, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy ordered the officials concerned to inspect all factories in the State to make sure that they are complacent with safety and hazard guidelines. With the Pollution Control Board Executive Engineer Nagireddy, District Industries Centre General Manager Madhusudan Reddy, Inspector of Industries Parameswara Rao, District Labour Department Deputy Commissioner Srinivasa Rao and other officers, Collector Dinesh Kumar inspected the Bhagiradha Chemicals. He examined departments, manufacturing units and treatment plants in the factory with the officials and verified the internal and external safety mechanism in place.

Speaking to the media, Collector Dinesh Kumar said that they started the Safety and Hazard Audit of the 21 factories in the district with Bhagiradha Chemicals, which is one of the five higher hazardous industries. He said that as part of the environmental conservation and protection measures, they inspected the effluent treatment plant, implementation of zero liquid disposal policy and other different things. He said that the company also explained them on the vendor audits and third party audits being done to make sure various safety and hazard monitoring systems functioning. Experts go into the complete details and issue a notice for compliance for continuation of operation, if any gaps are found, he added

Responding to the media questions, the Collector said that he personally inspected the factory, as the people from neighbouring villages complained that it is polluting ground water and environment. He explained that the earlier Collector formed a three-man committee and submitted the inquiry report to the government, based on which it issued notice for compliance. Dinesh Kumar said that the company has spent about Rs 10 crore to comply with the guidelines and is implementing zero liquid waste disposal policy and utilising the treated water to the green belt surrounding it. He announced that the villagers are in a myth that the factory is contaminating the groundwater, but it is not true. However, the Collector assured that they would audit the industries every six months and make sure all companies should comply the suggestions and directions from the experts.