Published Nov 11, 2026 | 1:10 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 11, 2026 | 1:10 PM
Visakhapatnam. (Wikimedia)
The Human Rights Forum (HRF), and Greater Visakhapatnam Citizens’ Forum (GVCF) on Wednesday, 11 November, in a press release, criticised the Andhra Pradesh government, for “rolling out the red carpet for industries while allowing them to pollute the air people breathe and the water they depend.”
Calling out the government for having it’s priorities wrong, the press release said, “Visakhapatnam cannot be developed by poisoning its people. Economic growth cannot be built on the destruction of people’s health and well-being.”
Asking if the price of making Visakhapatnam an industrial and investment destination is that its residents must learn to live with polluted air, contaminated surroundings and the consequences of corporate impunity, the organisations said, “Pollution has become so pervasive that residents are increasingly being expected to accept it as an unavoidable feature of everyday life. This is a truly extraordinary state of affairs.”
Also Read: Andhra Pradesh tops India’s aqua exports; new challenges emerge despite rising revenue
Further criticising the government for not intervening beyond the mere formalities, the release added, “What makes the situation particularly reprehensible is not merely the scale of pollution, but the ease with which those responsible get away with it. Industries and commercial establishments violating environmental norms are occasionally inspected, issued notices and slapped with fines. These interventions, however, rarely go beyond mere formalities.”
“In fact, there is little to suggest that they have any deterrent effect whatsoever. Polluters simply pay up, resume business and carry on polluting much as before. There is little evidence of sustained enforcement or any determination to prevent violations from recurring. The normalisation of pollution, the farcical nature of enforcement and the extraordinary latitude extended to repeat offenders have become hallmarks of environmental governance in the city.”
“For many polluting establishments, environmental penalties have effectively become a routine business expense. The consequences, meanwhile, are borne by thousands of ordinary people who have neither the means to protect themselves nor any say in decisions that compromise their living conditions.”
Raising questions regarding the action taken by Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB), the release asked, “What is the point of detecting violations if offending establishments are allowed to continue operating without rectifying them? How many violations must an establishment commit before decisive action is taken? Who is held accountable when the regulatory machinery repeatedly fails to enforce the law?”
Noting that the government cannot wash its hands of responsibility by claiming that environmental regulation is the PCB’s job, the release reiterated, “The Board functions within a governmental framework and the government cannot disown responsibility for its persistent failure to enforce environmental laws.”
“It must explain why violations continue unabated, why repeat offenders are allowed to get away with ineffective, token action and why the interests of polluting industries take precedence over the well-being of the city’s residents.”
Emphasising that neither employment generation nor economic growth can justify the injustice towards common people due to the pollution, the organisations said, “It is common knowledge that children, older people, outdoor workers and those already suffering from respiratory ailments are particularly vulnerable. Much of the damage may remain invisible and undetected for years with potentially irreversible consequences. No establishment, however economically important or politically influential, has the right to make the public pay for the consequences of its operations.”
They further claimed that the city’s pollution problem stands in stark contrast to its projection as an international investment destination and emerging economic powerhouse.
“With the CII Partnership Summit approaching, Visakhapatnam is once again being presented to global investors, corporate leaders and government dignitaries as the embodiment of the State’s economic ambitions, even as concerns over lax environmental enforcement persist.”
“There will be no shortage of grand presentations about investment opportunities, infrastructure and industrial growth. But what about the city its own residents inhabit? What about the air we breathe and the environment we are forced to live in?”
Also Read: The missing rural agenda in Karnataka’s urbanisation story
Asking the government to act before pollution reaches catastrophic proportions, the release said, “We certainly do not want Visakhapatnam to become another Delhi, where toxic air has become a recurring public-health emergency and millions are condemned to live with pollution levels far exceeding permissible limits.”
“The warning signs are already there and the government would do well not to ignore them. Air Quality Index (AQI) readings across Vizag have remained consistently high and with winter setting in, pollution levels are likely to rise even further. Unless urgent corrective measures are taken, the situation could deteriorate considerably in the coming weeks.”
HRF and GVCF further demanded that the government immediately undertake a comprehensive review of pollution violations across Visakhapatnam and its industrial periphery.
“This must include the action taken against offending establishments. Details of inspections conducted, violations detected, penalties imposed, repeat offences and compliance with corrective measures must be placed in the public domain. Independent assessments of air, water and soil quality must be undertaken, along with a systematic assessment of the health impacts on affected people.”
Calling for stringent action against repeat offenders, including suspension of operations and closure wherever warranted, the release also demanded that officials responsible for persistent enforcement failures must also be held accountable.
“The principle that the polluter pays must go well beyond the mere collection of fines. Those responsible must bear the full costs of remediation and environmental restoration. We want clean air, not empty assurances, we need accountability, not token penalties. We deserve a government that values human lives more than corporate profits.”
“Every day that violations continue without meaningful consequences is another day the public is made to suffer for the failures of those entrusted with protecting it. A government that cannot ensure compliance with environmental laws has no business boasting about industrial progress. Development that comes at the expense of people’s lives and well-being is neither progress nor development. It is an injustice inflicted on an entire city,” the release added.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
