ONGOLE: Gundlapalli Industrial Growth Centre (GIGC), which has been providing livelihood to 10,000 workers, is now facing a plethora of problems on the infrastructure front. Set up 15 years ago in an extent of 1,470 acres near the NH-16, nearly 400 out of 650 industrial plots are occupied by allottees. Currently, the Gundlapalli Industrial Growth Centre has units dealing in granite, chemicals, plastic and plastic recycling units, numbering 300.
The Andhra Pradesh Industrial and Infrastructure Corporation (APII C), which set up the GIGC, has set up an industrial infrastructure development fund of Rs 3.5 crore to develop facilites. However, the industrialists allege that the APII C is yet to develop infrastructure in the GIGC. They said granite and chemical waste is seen everywhere. In fact, the GIGC has allotted land for setting up a green zone, temples, water tanks, health and electricity centres, skill development centre and a dumping yard.
But nothing is functional till now. About 20 acres have been allotted for setting up a dump yard and 1.6 acres of land for a skill development centre (SDC). In the beginning, the APII C announced that the SDC, constructed at a cost of Rs 1 crore, will cater to the needs of skilled labour force.
Though it was constructed, till date it is not yet functional. There are only a few street lights, but some of them don’t work. The workers are afraid to attend night shifts due to the presence of wild animals and venomous creatures. All empty plots and drainage canals have been blocked with industrial waste. Due to drainage contamination, the workers fear that the groundwater may get polluted. There is no greenery to speak of and the internal roads are damaged.
Recent rains due to Cyclone Nivar has worsened the situation. “We have been requesting the authorities to develop facilities such as dump yard, greenery, drains, internal roads and street lights in the GIGC. We again request the authorities to utilise the infrastructure development fund to provide facilities here,” GIGC Granite Merchants’ Association president Mandava Ratnakara Rao said. An industrialist, K Krishnaiah said, “We appeal to the APIIC to start the skill development centre with immediate effect. They should visit the GIGC regularly to observe the improvement here.
As there are hundreds of units with thousands of workers, a firefighting unit should be at hand to deal with emergencies.” APIIC, Ongole, zonal manager ML Narasimha Rao said, “We have set up better infrastructure at the GIGC compared to the other industrial estates. Recently, we spent Rs 15 lakh towards installation of street lights and other development works,” he explained