VISAKHAPATNAM: Mild tension prevailed on Tuesday at LG Polymers plant at RR Venkatapuram when residents, mostly women, staged a sit-in demanding more relief as their village was badly affected.
Their discontent triggered into a protest as hundreds of villagers started moving towards LG Polymers gate on Tuesday. However, they were stopped by the police. They said people of Venkatapuram gave their lands for the plant and the village now was suffering from the tragedy.
The protesters demanded free ration and essentials for two months, health cards for all and setting up of a multi-speciality hospital in the village. The Chief Minister had announced an ex gratia of Rs 1 crore to the families of those who died, Rs 10 lakh for those who underwent treatment on ventilators, Rs 1 lakh for those who were hospitalised and Rs 25,000 for those who were in hospital for three days.
E Appa Rao of Venkatapuram said after they returned to the villages, officials asked them not to consume any food and water in their houses. "When people opened the doors of houses, gas was present and all edible items got damaged. Even furniture such sofas, cots and beds were also damaged. As per NEERI advice, we have disposed of everything. For the first four days, the GVMC officials arranged food, including breakfast lunch and dinner. Later, LG Polymers supplied food and later it stopped food supply," he explained. "Now, we don’t have any commodities to consume. The damage is far more than the compensation we got," he claimed.
Minister visits affected areas
Visakhapatnam: Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao and former MLA Vijaya Prasad visited the affected areas of LG Polymers gas leak on Tuesday. "The revamp of harmful industries across the state will begin from LG Polymers to ensure public safety and welfare," said Srinivasa Rao. He further assured the residents that the government and courts are with the people and public welfare is high priority for the state government.