Smoke billowing out from an industrial unit at near Airport recently in Visakhapatnam.
| Photo Credit: K.R Deepak
The Greater Visakhapatnam Citizens’ Forum (GVCF) has urged the district administration to implement a six-point action plan to address increasing pollution levels in the city.
The forum said on Thursday (May 21, 2026) that it had submitted a representation to District Collector M. Abhishikth Kishore recently. In the representation, forum president Sohan Hatangadi, vice-president S. Krishnamurthy and secretary Capt. N. Viswanathan mentioned that Visakhapatnam was witnessing rising air pollution due to industrial activity, port operations, vehicular emissions and construction dust.
Referring to data under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), the forum said the city had recorded a 32.9% increase in PM10 pollution between 2017-18 and 2024-25.
The GVCF outlined six major areas requiring intervention. These include measures to control coal dust pollution from Visakhapatnam and Gangavaram ports; regulation of construction dust through mandatory pollution-monitoring units at project sites; and stricter checks on vehicular emissions, particularly from diesel-run buses and trucks.
The forum also called for the installation of additional Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) across the city to provide real-time pollution data. It sought mandatory CAAQMS facilities for red-category industries and mineral storage units, along with a publicly accessible dashboard displaying pollution levels.
Further, the representation highlighted seawater pollution caused by sewage discharge, garbage dumping and immersion of plaster-of-Paris idols. The forum suggested the construction of artificial ponds for idol immersion and the promotion of clay idols through public awareness campaigns during festivals.
The GVCF said it was willing to work with the district administration on pollution mitigation measures.
Published – May 21, 2026 04:36 pm IST
