Experts urge investigation into cancer-linked pollution in Andhra Pradesh

Experts and activists are calling on the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to investigate pollution linked to high cancer rates near a factory in Bhalabhadrapuram, Andhra Pradesh. The factory, Grasim Industries’ Chlor-Alkali unit, is reportedly using a chemical called PFOA, which is known to cause cancer. According to K. Babu Rao, a former scientist at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, the environmental and chemical pollution from the factory is a significant concern. He pointed out that cancer cases in Bhalabhadrapuram are nearly three times higher than the average for Andhra Pradesh, raising alarms about public health in the area. On March 24, E.A.S. Sarma, a former government secretary, wrote to MoEFCC requesting an investigation. He urged the ministry to send experts from the Central Pollution Control Board to check if the factory is following environmental regulations. He emphasized the need to determine what is causing the rise in cancer and liver disease in the village. The Chlor-Alkali project, which cost ₹2,450 crores, was inaugurated by the former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in April 2022. Health surveys and interactions between local officials and doctors from a cancer research center have highlighted the increasing number of cancer cases in Bhalabhadrapuram.