Don’t Panic: What’s Happening in Vizag?

Even as the lockdown due to Coronavirus pushed their lives on the edge, the Styrene gas leakage at LG Polymers chemical plant has made the lives miserable for the residents in RR Venkatapuram and the surrounding areas in Visakhapatnam. The fear caused among the residents by the leakage is far greater than those dreaded days during Cyclone HudHud.

Ever since the news about the second gas leakage at LG Polymers on Thursday night spread like wildfire, thousands of panicked families, including kids, elders and even pets and animals, have been literally living on the roads and under the trees. Apart from the epicenter zones like RR Venkatapuram, Prahladapuram, Simhachalam and Gopalapatnam, the gas was leaked to areas like Pendurthi and Madhavadhara, leaving all the residents in a state of panic.

People who fell prey to the rumours feld to Srikakulam and Vizianagaram and other distant villages on bikes and cars. But they were stopped by the traffic police at the borders due to the lockdown regulations and this resulted in a chaotic situation and also led to a huge congestion in the traffic flow. The situation remained tense until the authorities neutralized the gas at 3 am on Friday morning. That was when all the civilians headed back to their homes.

On the other hand, the police and municipal authorities have failed to assure the panicked residents of safety, leave alone providing rehabilitation. Zero transperancy and lack of timely alerts have made the matters worse for the already panicked residents. It will take several days before the situation goes back to normalcy.