Andhra Prdesh: Styrene smell still in air, say Venkatapuram residents

Visakhapatnam: Residents of RR Venkatapuram , Venkatapuram, Venkatadri Colony, Padmanabhapuram and two other colonies who were evacuated after the styrene leak at LG Polymers plant have started returning home.

On Wednesday, women and men were seen cleaning their houses, utensils and clothes.They have, however, claimed they can still smell styrene inside their homes and have been suffering headaches and burning sensation in their eyes.

Twenty-one-year-old K Ayyappa, who lives with his mother K Manga, at Venkatapuram said they have cleaned the house twice but have failed to get rid of the pungent smell of styrene. “Food items, such as rice and pulses smell of the gas and have to be thrown away. We can’t stay in the house as we may have headaches and difficulty breathing. We are planning to stay a few more days in our relative’s home in Gajuwaka,” Ayyappa said.

Although the district administration and a group of ministers have claimed there is no need to panic and people can return home, the ground reality is different, claims Y Varalakshmi, a resident of Venkatapuram. “We can still smell styrene. I think it will take at least one more week for normacy,” he said.

Meanwhile, a group of residents of Venkatapuram on Wednesday protested demanding the authorities provide essential commodities. “We returned home on Monday evening. The food is unfit for consumption. Grocery stores are shut and we are left with little money. We want authorities to supply essential commodities for a week,” a protestor told TOI.

In the meantime, officials of the animal husbandry department advised people in the villages to not milk milch animals. Residents, however, continue to do so, claiming they have no other option.

Officials said 25 cows and buffaloes died in the villages following the styrene leak. Milk procurement from the area has stopped and the condition of the animals is being studied. “We also asked villagers to not milk and consume milk from the animals for a month,” officials said.

“We expected that government officials would supply milk and other essential commodities as the foodgrains in our home have been spoilt. But no one has come forward. Since we have no other option, we consumed milk from our cow,” said S Eswaramma and S Tatarao, residents of BC Colony.

A veterinary surgeon in the animal husbandry department Dr S Kiran Kumar said as green and dry fodder in the villages is not fit at present for feeding cattle, the department is distributing silage, a nutritious and easy-to-digest feed.