Pollution show-cause to GVMC, dairy firm

Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh pollution control board (

APPCB

) has issued

show-cause

notices to the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (

GVMC

), Vijaya Visakha Milk Producers Company Ltd and Liberty Frozen Foods for allegedly realising their effluents into the Akkireddypalem village pond, thereby polluting the water body on Saturday.

While the GVMC has been served a notice for not preventing sewage to seep into the pond in Akireddypalem, Vijaya Visakha Dairy and Liberty Frozen Foods have been served notices for allegedly discharging effluents into the pond.

Addressing the reasons leading to the notices being served, the pollution control board’s public relations officer (PRO), Kalyan Chakravarty said, “On having received complaints about dead fish floating in the pond, from residents of Akkireddypalem, APPCB conducted a field study on July 24. The study found that the fish in the pond were dying because effluents were seeping into the pond. Subsequently, the investigating team sent us a field report, on the basis of which, we have served the notices.”

Chakravarty further said that the organisations have been asked to respond to the show-cause notice in 7-15 days action would be initiated against them under Section 33 (A).

According to the report submitted by the APPCB team, Liberty Frozen Foods was generating 35 KLD (kilolitres daily) effluents without adequate land to treat the effluents. The report further claimed that the organisation was not operating its effluent treatment plant adequately.

With regard to the Vijaya Visakha Milk Producers Company Ltd, APPCB sources maintained that the show-cause notice was issued to them for not operating their effluent treatment plant properly.

Sources in the APPCB further said that the board had issued directions to GVMC regarding submission of compliance status on a monthly basis on June 14, 2018, but the GVMC is yet to comply with the directive.

Health officer of GVMC, Dr A Hemanth and underground drainage SE, GV Pallam Raju denied having received any such directive.

Authorities of the pollution control board further said that the company had been issued directives with regard to their effluent treatment plant management.