The death of five workers by inhaling poisonous gases while cleaning a chemical tank in aqua food processing industry at Mogalturu in West Godavari district on Thursday came as a major embarrassment to Telugu Desam Party president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who has been waging relentless battle against Naidu for permitting polluting aqua food processing industries in the fertile lands of Godavari districts did not lose any time in rushing to the spot and running down the chief minister in strongest words.
Jagan, who interacted with the families of victims at Narsapur Government Hospital demanded that the government shift all the aqua factories to the sea coast from the fertile lands.
He said Naidu and his officials were very much aware of the pollution being caused by aqua food processing companies, but remained blind to the fact.
"This is just a 30 tonne capacity factory. Imagine what will happen if the Tundurru unit, which is 350 tonne capacity unit, comes up.
The locals have been agitating against the Tundurru unit for the last two years. The company that built the Mogalturu plant is constructing the Tundurru unit," Jagan said.
He demanded that the Government make the management pay more compensation and that it arrest the management for the death of five lives.
