VIJAYAWADA: As Jawahar Auto Nagar in Vijayawada has been battling poor sanitation for years, Krishna district administration is drafting an action plan to prevent industrial waste from polluting drinking water, in the wake of the ‘mystery illness’ that broke out in Eluru recently.
Toxic industrial waste dumped on roadside, drains choked with plastic waste and poor disposal of solid waste generated by small and medium scale units are a common sight in Auto Nagar.
Taking a serious note of the issue, District Collector and Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) special officer A Md Imtiaz recently conducted a ground-level inspection of the area. After the inspection, the Collector directed the VMC, the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) and representatives of the Auto Nagar Industrial Local Authority (AILA) to come up with concrete measures to solve the long-pending issues and improve the basic infrastructure.
“The officials will focus on preventing drinking water pollution, improve the drainage system, explore alternatives for discarded cloth burning, and more scientific approach for waste management,” Imtiaz added.
The Collector noted that Auto Nagar generates 10 - 15 tonnes of garbage per day, which is shifted by the civic body to the dump yard in Pathapadu village on the city outskirts.
Also, a city-based NGO recently came forward with a proposal to recycle the plastic waste for free. “Dealers have been asked to remove scrap and old vehicles from the locality, and ensure that drinking water does not get polluted with automobile waste,” he added. During an interaction, AILA representatives said old batteries dismantled in Auto Nagar are being shifted to Chennai.