Tension prevailed at Akkireddygudem in Eluru district on Monday as villagers staged a dharna demanding that the Porus Laboratories Private Limited, where six workers died and 12 others suffered burns in a fire mishap on April 13, be permanently shut down.
The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has already ordered a temporary closure of the chemical factory following the mishap.
When Joint Collector P. Arun Babu, Assistant Collector T. Rahul Kumar Reddy and other officers visited the drug manufacturing unit on Monday to conduct an inquiry following the orders of District Collector V. Prasanna Venkatesh, hundreds of villagers thronged the factory and raised slogans demanding its permanent closure.
The villagers alleged that toxicants from the factory were causing severe health problems and demanded that action be taken against the management immediately.
Meanwhile, another group of villagers wanted the government to resume operations at the chemical unit as they were dependent on it for their means of livelihood.
The Joint Collector, who addressed the villagers, said that a report would be sent to the government on the recent fire mishap and the action to be taken. Police had a tough time controlling the protesting villagers at the factory.
