Visakhapatnam Authorities Plan Heavy Vehicle Diversion to Cut Industrial Pollution

Heavy vehicles coming from Gangavaram Port and the Steel Plant will soon be diverted away from Gajuwaka to reduce air pollution in Visakhapatnam. The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, and the Regional Transport Authority will jointly carry out this traffic change. APPCB chairman P. Krishnaiah announced the plan during a recent video conference after local groups raised concerns. The Greater Visakhapatnam Citizens' Forum, represented by president Sohan Hatangadi and secretary Capt. N. Viswanathan, brought up several environmental issues at the meeting.

Monitoring and Port Action

Visakhapatnam currently uses eight manual air quality monitoring stations and three Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations, with five new IoT sensor-based stations due by November. Regarding the Visakhapatnam Port Authority, about forty percent of required mechanisation work is finished. Mr. Krishnaiah warned that authorities will examine the matter for appropriate action during the next permit renewal if the remaining work is not completed on time. He also told officials to make sure the port uses only chemicals approved by the Central Pollution Control Board.

Dust Control and Further Demands

Regional officials stated that trucks are now using tarpaulins for cover while workers sprinkle water on the ground to settle dust. The APPCB chairman agreed to look into extending National Green Tribunal rules from the Visakhapatnam Port to Gangavaram Port. The board will also discuss putting low-cost dust monitors at building and demolition sites with the municipal corporation. Meanwhile, the citizens' forum pressed for faster connection of new air monitoring stations at Harbour Park and Siripuram to the central board website. They also asked for public access to industrial data and the release of recent pollution scores and a source study done by Andhra University.

Context

Industrial ports and steel plants often generate heavy truck traffic and dust that affect air quality in nearby residential areas like Gajuwaka. Cities across India increasingly rely on digital sensors and traffic diversions to monitor and manage urban pollution levels.