For the polluting industrial estates at Patencheru in Andhra Pradesh ( Down To Earth , Vol 8, No 7), it was time to face the music. Acting upon the instructions of the Supreme Court, Medak district judge Gaddam Bhupati Reddy recently visited various industrial establishments in the industrial estates of Patencheru and Pasamylaram to gauge the intensity of pollution.

After inspecting the Sigachi Chemicals unit at Pasamylaram, he visited the New Lands industrial unit. Reddy expressed his dissatisfaction over the way chemicals were scattered around the premises of these industrial units. Later, he inspected the premises of Novopan Industries, Asian Paints and other industrial units at the Patencheru Industrial Estate. He also visited the common effluent treatment plant (CETP) at the industrial estate after he was informed about it by the management of Novopan Industries. Sivachander, manager of the CETP, said the plant complied with the Supreme Court orders on pollution control. He added that a fine was imposed on industries that were found releasing pollutants into the atmosphere and on those violating the pollution control standards.

Later, the judge visited pollution-hit Kistareddypeta village. Here the mandal revenue officer (MRO) Venkata Reddy informed the judge that another 83 hectares, affected by pollution, has been recently identified. The MRO said proposals for providing compensation to farmers adversely affected by pollution at Sultanpur, Laktaram, Pocharam, Chitkul, Ailapur and Peddakanjarla were submitted to the Supreme Court for sanction. Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APCB) officer Muralidhar Reddy, the MRO of Patencheru and others accompanied the judge. The judge directed the pollution control board authorities to take stringent action against erring industrial units as per the latest government order.