Eye irritation, complications and knee ache are widespread amongst villagers right here. G. Surendra, one other resident of Cherukommupalem, had taken his mom, aged 57, to hospitals in Tirupati and Hyderabad after she complained of knee ache. The medical doctors mentioned her bones had misplaced their density and energy.

“Not only my mother but everyone in the village seems to be suffering silently from an invisible illness. Knee pain is something everyone, young and old, complains about,” he says. 

Their neighbour Naresh has an 11-year-old son who can’t stroll correctly on account of a neurological situation. Another neighbour B. Padmavati (54), has been affected by knee ache for the final 10 years. Rajeswaramma (55), a farm employee, has stopped going to work for a protracted on account of knee ache. 

Toofan Nagar too plagued

Similar points persist at Toofan Nagar, a colony of Yanadi tribals adjoining to Cheruvukommupalem. Ashok, a village volunteer right here, says that when he complained to the officers about pores and skin allergic reactions plaguing the folks right here, he was informed that it was on account of their “unhygienic lifestyle”.

As per a examine carried out by Vimta Labs Ltd. from Nellore in 2019, the groundwater samples collected from the villages positioned across the manufacturing unit have been discovered to be contaminated with chemical substances equivalent to lead and manganese. The examine was carried out after folks from these villages got here to Vijayawada and staged an indication carrying bottles of brown-coloured water from their close by water sources.

“The reports from the lab showed that Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), calcium, chlorine and sulfides were present in higher quantities. The hardness of water is also on the higher side,” says a authorities physician from Ongole on the situation of anonymity.

“Lead, if it enters the body once, never leaves. Some of the chemicals found in the water are potential carcinogens. Long-term exposure to such heavy chemicals is bound to leave an impact on the health of people. How severe the impact is determined by their exposure level. The greater the exposure, the more severe the impact will be,” says the physician. People working on the manufacturing unit stand a better danger of growing well being issues.

A former worker of BCIL, aged 48, mentioned he suffered from pores and skin allergic reactions just a few occasions throughout his 13-year-long stint on the manufacturing unit. “Nevertheless, I had to continue working there because of financial problems at home. But one day, I experienced a bout of vomiting all night. That is when my family asked me to stop working there. Many working there come from economically poor backgrounds. They don’t have a choice. Moreover, working there for a long time renders us useless for jobs that involve heavy lifting and physical work. Now, only around 30 employees at the factory are from nearby villages. The others are all from outside the State,” he says.

He used to ₹13,000 monthly and obtained no medical reimbursements for his remedy. He now works as an electrician in Ongole.

He mentioned his colleague died of liver most cancers 10 years again at 35. Villagers declare there is a rise in most cancers circumstances and deaths from kidney and coronary heart illnesses. “From 2021, I have seen one cancer patient, one kidney and two suffering from heart ailments (all young). One of them, a 23-year-old male, died of kidney failure recently. He did not have any comorbidities,” one other physician, who has a non-public clinic in Ongole.

Public well being specialists from Ongole, whereas not denying the hyperlink between contaminated groundwater and well being issues, say to establish the affect, officers ought to evaluate the variety of deaths within the final 10 years with the corresponding variety of the earlier 10 years.

“Comorbid conditions of the deceased person must be considered when examining such cases. Drinking contaminated water may have been one of the factors in one’s death. But the number of deaths related to the contaminated water can be found out only after a scientific study,” the physician says.

An ASHA employee, who went to each family to gather particulars of individuals as a part of a routine well being survey, says whereas persons are not open about any critical diseases, it isn’t uncommon to see deaths on account of kidney failure and most cancers on demise certificates.

Not denying that there could possibly be an increase in critical illnesses, Prakasam district Collector Dinesh Kumar says, “People must have consumed borewell water for drinking and cooking purposes until 2019 when the colour of the water changed. So, there must have been some impact on their health. In response to a PIL filed by one P. Venkateswarlu, the High Court ordered us to see if the factory was still causing pollution. A team, including me, went to the factory and inspected their waste treatment process. The factory does have a Zero Liquid Discharge policy. We submitted a report recently that the factory is not flouting norms. However, the High Court did not direct us to go for a health survey. If people continue to face health issues, we are ready to take up further studies. We have written to the State Pollution Board and government to constitute a high-level team to conduct an impact assessment study. The factory will be pulled up if it is found to have violated norms.”

Not air pollution inflicting, says APPCB

G. Nagi Reddy, an environmental engineer from the APPCB Ongole Regional Office, denied allegations that the manufacturing unit is inflicting air pollution. 

“Earlier, the factory was issued two ‘Stop Production’ orders. Operations were halted for a while. But now, it has rectified its mistakes and has a proper treatment process in place. The odour that many complain about is a natural byproduct of chemical reactions. Besides, no one uses borewell water for drinking these days,” says Mr. Nagi Reddy, including that the villagers are making “frivolous” complaints.

But for the folks at Toofan Nagar, groundwater is what they’ve. The manufacturing unit administration sends tankers to this place. “But not everyone gets it,” the village volunteer says.

“Though the factory was shut down for a while a couple of times in the past, was the contaminated groundwater cleaned? How long will it take for groundwater to get back to its normal state? What about the impact it left on people who consumed it for years unsuspiciously,” asks Mr. Rohith.

According to the ‘Polluter Pays’ precept, factories that trigger air pollution are liable to pay compensation for the losses incurred by the folks. Just issuing a cease manufacturing order won’t suffice, Mr. Rohith provides. 

Last 12 months in September, villagers submitted a illustration to the Collectorate in Ongole demanding shifting of the manufacturing unit to a different place.

The Collector responds, “At the time of its opening (in 1995), there was no urban sprawl. However, the factory is not adamant about shifting its operations elsewhere. It seeks government help to identify suitable land (200-300 acres). It is also ready to arrange transport facilities for workers from far-off villages. It does not want to lose its skilled workers, many of whom come from these villages. ”

“If the factory shifts its base, that will indeed be a win for the people. But what about those who have been suffering from illness for a long time now?” asks Mr. Rohith.

The villagers are exhausted to even hope. “We have waged a long battle. Nothing has come out of it. We have all the proof. We have seen dead fish and snakes floating in the water bodies. We have seen young people dying of kidney problems and heart attacks. But our complaints have fallen on deaf ears all these years. It is sad that people have to fight for basic rights such as access to clean drinking water,” says Mr. Surendra, who misplaced his 28-year-old buddy to kidney failure two years again.