Series of industrial mishaps at Vizag: YSRCP alleges opposition TDP's conspiracy

The ruling YSRCP has pointed finger at the opposition TDP while alleging a conspiracy behind the series of industrial mishaps that claimed 18 lives in just over two months in Visakhapatnam.

Visakhapatnam, known popularly as Vizag, on the East Coast is heavily industrialized with steel plant, shipyard, refineries, pharma, and other manufacturing units. The port city was designated as Andhra Pradesh’s executive capital by chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy, a decision fiercely opposed by the TDP and its chief Chandrababu Naidu.

A huge blast and fire on Monday night in Visakha Solvents Limited, Jawaharlal Nehru pharma city at Parawada near Vizag has killed one operator Srinivasa Rao and injured a chemist.

The visuals of the explosion and uncontrolled fires on the news TV screens and Whats-app forwards added to the fears of the already terrified locals.

This is the third such industrial mishap at Vizag, in over two months’ time. While the LG styrene leak of 7 May near Gopalapatnam killed 15 locals; Benzimidazole leak in Sainor Life Sciences pharma unit in Parawada on 30 June caused the death of two employees.

On Tuesday, YSRCP spokesperson and Anakapalle MLA Gudivada Amarnath stated “conspiracies as being hatched to damage the brand image of Vizag.”

“After noticing the recent incidents, I, as an individual and as a local MLA, have doubts if there is a collusion. I appeal to the CM to initiate a thorough probe to reveal the truth,” Gudivada said addressing reporters in Vizag.

On Tuesday, Naidu accused the Jaganmohan Reddy government “as behaving negligently; not focusing on measures to prevent the mishaps.”

“Why is the government being indifferent? The series of accidents taking place in industrial areas of Visakhapatnam district is causing great concern,” Kalyan stated.

“The way mishaps are occurring and the opposition leaders especially Chandrababu Naidu is reacting, I am afraid, it looks like it is a scheme to obstruct our CM’s plans to make Vizag the state’s capital. To save his investments in Amaravati, Naidu is resorting to the propaganda of frequent mishaps in Vizag” the YSRCP leader said while naming Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan “as supporting Naidu’s campaign.”

Meanwhile, a preliminary probe of Monday’s accident pointed to variations in the temperature and pressures of the solvent reactor as the cause.