VIJAYAWADA: Praja Arogya Vedika (PAV), a public health advocacy group, has urged Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu to intervene immediately to address the alarming rise in industrial accidents in the pharmaceutical sector across the State.
In a letter to the Chief Minister on Wednesday, the group highlighted that from 2019 to 2023, the pharmaceutical industry recorded 32 fatal accidents and 41 injuries. The trend has worsened in 2024, with Essentia Pharma alone reportedly accounting for 36 deaths and more than 40 injuries.
PAV state president Dr MV Ramanaiah pointed to the recent fatal incident at SS Pharma and recalled the Sigachi Industries tragedy in Telangana, where 44 people died, as grim reminders of industry risks. He also cited the 2020 LG Polymers gas leak in Visakhapatnam and several subsequent incidents as evidence of serious lapses in safety protocols and regulatory enforcement, especially in pharma units.
To prevent further tragedies, the organisation recommended comprehensive safety audits, increased staffing and resources for the Factories Department, strict penalties including licence cancellations for violations, and safety training programs for workers.
General Secretary T Kameshwar Rao said public safety must take precedence over industrial profits and urged the chief minister to make Andhra Pradesh a model state for industrial safety.