GVMC rapped for letting sewage into sea

GVMC rapped for letting sewage into sea

VISAKHAPATNAM: Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari, after inspecting the port area on Friday, directed the chairman of Visakhapatnam Port Trust MT Krishna Babu to appoint an expert consultant to study the problem of high air pollution levels at the port and come up with solutions.

The minister also expressed displeasure over the GVMC for allowing the release of untreated sewage water into the sea and directed the VPT chairman to serve notices to the GVMC to stop the practice at the earliest.

The minister added that he suspects the handling of dusty cargo in the port and releasing of untreated water into the Bay of Bengal are the main causes of air and water pollution and warned that the ministry would not allow this.

Gadkari said that the VPT is being developed with huge investments but the air and water pollution is causing damage to the port. He insisted that steps should be taken to bring the pollution to minimum levels.

An expert consultant would be appointed to study and suggest the practices to arrest the pollution levels at ports, Gadkari said.

Visakhapatnam Port was one of the key port in the country and playing a vital role on the east coast, he said. Already, the VPT has been developed with all the modernised equipment at a cost Rs 1,7979 crore and would also develop further by providing necessary connecting infrastructure.

The government has sanctioned Rs 2,500 crore for the Anakapalle-Ananadapuram road and Rs 120 crore Convent Junction-VCTPL roads. The projects would be taken up by the NHAI and VPT as a joint venture,” Gadkari said.

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