VISAKHAPATNAM: Five years after the styrene gas leak at LG Polymers India Pvt Ltd in RR Venkatapuram of Visakhapatnam, many victims are still awaiting the Rs 3.5 lakh humanitarian compensation promised to them.
The LG Polymers Gas Victims Welfare Association has submitted fresh grievances to Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), urging immediate intervention.
The leak, which occurred on May 7, 2020, affected several localities including Venkatadri Gardens, Padmapuram, BC Colony, Gopalapatnam and Kamparapalem. The incident resulted in 15 deaths, over 1,000 hospitalisations and long-term health complications for more than 2,000 residents.
Association members BTV Satyanarayana, K Rami Naidu, G Srinivasa Rao and G Chandra Sekhar stated that although victims were identified by the District Administration under G.O.M.S No. 449 dated May 8, 2020, many have yet to receive compensation. These individuals were also categorised as Red Zone residents by the High Power Committee constituted by the State government.
According to the association, victims fall into several categories: Some received ex gratia payments from the State government but were not recognised by LG Polymers; Others were excluded due to mismatched bank details, clerical errors or failures by Sachivalayam staff to map households;
A few victims initially missed out on the Rs 10,000 relief due to crediting errors that were later corrected, but their names remained off the official list; Additionally, 186 patients hospitalised during the incident were omitted from compensation lists due to administrative lapses.
Despite repeated appeals to district and zonal authorities and through the Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS), no definitive action has been taken. The association claims LG Polymers is willing to release compensation if the District Collector provides written confirmation of eligibility—a confirmation that has yet to be issued.
The association also called on the State government to address persistent health and livelihood challenges in the affected areas. Their demands include the construction of a permanent multi-speciality hospital in Venkatapuram, issuance of health cards, restoration of damaged environmental infrastructure, provision of clean drinking water, compensation for medical expenses and permanent employment for families of the deceased and severely affected.
The GVMC Additional Commissioner received the complaint on Monday and assured that the matter would be reviewed. Association member G Srinivasa Rao appealed to the Chief Minister to intervene and ensure that pending compensation and support measures are delivered without further delay.