The Krishna district administration officials recently raided the industrial area in Jaggayyapeta and issued notices to four chemical factories for allegedly polluting the environment by burning scrap tyres.
Indian Officials Raid Tyre Burning Plants in Krishna District
According to experts, these scrap tyres are used as a supplement to traditional fuels such as coal or wood fuel because of their high heating value. While burning tyres may provide an efficient source of energy, the harmful effects exceed the benefits.
Vijayawada sub-collector Misha Singh had ordered the raids after receiving repeated complaints, that harmful residues from the tyre burning kilns were polluting the ground water table.
Sources explained that the old tyres were dumped in a boiler and “melted”, in order to extract oil. Not just Krishna river, even the ground water was getting polluted across the Andhra Pradesh industrial infrastructure corporation (APIIC) Autonagar area.
“We have collected around 40 samples from the area and some of the water samples have been taken from borewells. The water is discoloured as yellow and black. There is a prima facie evidence that there is pollution. We have received numerous complaints and had raided the factories and notices have been issued. An inquiry has been started in this regard, after which necessary actions will be taken,” ensured Misha Singh.
The industries have been burning tyres for over two years, and despite repeated complaints, no action had been taken in this regard.
Finally, after the submissions of samples collected from the region, district collector Mohammed Imtiaz initiated action. Jaggayyapeta MLA Samineni Udayabhanu too accompanied the officials during the raid, examined the scene and also collected samples of the residue from the boilers.
Notices were received by four factories identified as Dinakara Life Sciences Private Limited, VNS Chemicals Private Limited, Integrin Life Sciences Pvt.Ltd and Ionis Pvt Ltd.
Typically, for each pound of scrap tyre rubber burnt equates to 15,000 BTUs of energy and a single tyre can burn for up to 50 minutes. This equates to 25% more energy being produced than coal. Regardless of the efficiency, the fumes that are being released in this process have been proved to be extremely toxic for the environment and for human health.
Residents claimed that on a daily basis, thick black smoke used to engulf their area as several tyres were being burnt for hours. Misha Singh assured that necessary action would be taken based on the results from testing the samples collected in the area.
“Previously, we had to buy drinking water, but now we are forced to buy water to even wash our hands because the polluted ground water has been causing skin irritations and other health hazards in the area,” Rajesh, a resident
Source: Times of India
