Black dust chokes lives in Visakhapatnam

Black dust chokes lives in Visakhapatnam For residents of the One Town area, pollution is no longer an occasional difficulty but an everyday reality, with black dust settling on homes, vehicles and streets and worries mounting over its impact on health.

Key points

• The analysis, carried out for the duration of three years between January 2024 and April 2026, states that PM10.
• According to Visakhapatnam City Traffic Police statistics, the city had around 11 lakh vehicles in 2020.
• For residents of the South Assembly constituency in Visakhapatnam, especially around Old Post Office, Kurupam Market, and Chengalraopeta, it is an uncomfortable description of their everyday reality.
• Ravi, 24, a resident of Chengalraopeta in One Town area, wakes up as early as 5.30 a.m.
• According to Ganga Rao, pollution from the Visakhapatnam Port and Gangavaram Port was posing a serious threat to residents.

Meanwhile, a view of One Town, an area that is among the worst affected by pollution from the nearby port operations in Visakhapatnam. Photo Credit: V. RAJU.

Ravi, 24, a resident of Chengalraopeta in One Town area, wakes up as early as 5.30 a.m. And switches on an air purifier placed beside the bed on which his 48-year-old mother is sleeping. Ravi's mother has been experiencing respiratory challenges. It the family believes have been aggravated due to the worsening air pollution in the area.

Notably, the family has been living in the area for decades, and since the elderly and children began to suffer from respiratory problems, the family members have kicked off taking precautions. They maintain door meshes and have installed air purifiers to prevent the pollution from entering the house and worsening their health conditions.

Although the city – home to beaches, hills, lush valleys, and colonial-era architecture – boasts an image of a happening city, a walk through the narrow lanes of the South Assembly constituency offers a different picture as residents often complain regarding the air feeling heavy, making breathing uncomfortable. The pollution is not merely regarding visible dust settling on roads, vehicles and buildings. Residents say it has become an invisible presence inside their homes and a constant source of anxiety over its feasible impact on their health.

"Besides respiratory problems, other difficulties such as eye strain, respiratory ailments, cough and cold are consistently documented in the locality. We believe they are due to dust pollution, particularly coal and iron ore, " Ravi explains.

Notably, a woman demonstrates the black dust accumulated on the wall of her house, allegedly due to dust pollution, in the Old Post Office area of Visakhapatnam. Photo Credit: V. RAJU.

Notably, the impact is visible throughout a number of neighbourhoods. While blackish dust deposits can be seen on houses, roadside structures and vehicles, walls and building exteriors lose their colour rapidly. "Every morning, we are greeted by a thick layer of black dust on the windows and the walls and terraces of our house. How plenty of times can a person clean a house, once or twice a day? But we have to clean our house at least five to six times a day to keep it clean, " Ravi notes.

In practice, a senior private doctor from the One Town area, speaking on condition of anonymity, notes that prolonged exposure to dust pollution is increasingly affecting the health of residents, particularly the elderly and children. "Many elderly people are suffering from respiratory problems due to dust pollution, while children are frequently coming to us with complaints of persistent cough and other respiratory symptoms, " remarked the city-based doctor.

"A person wearing a white shirt while travelling through Visakhapatnam's One Town area in the morning could find it turning black due to the dust and pollution, " Bheemili legislator and former Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao remarked during a recent Assembly session, taking a dig at the worsening air pollution in the Port City. His remark might have evoked a chuckle among the Cabinet Ministers and legislators in the House. Nevertheless, the data has shown a deteriorating trend of air quality in the city.

While particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and pollution from nitrogen dioxide have worsened during the same period, with Visakhapatnam emerging as a major pollution hotspot, according to a May 2026 report based on the analysis done by the Pune-based climate-tech startup Respirer Living Science, air quality in Andhra Pradesh has deteriorated over the last three years.

In practice, the analysis, carried out for the duration of three years between January 2024 and April 2026, states that PM10. It are coarse dust particles small enough to enter the nose and throat, has exceeded the national limit, while PM2.5, which are ultra-fine particles that can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream, has surged by 33% and crossed the national threshold. Nitrogen dioxide, a combustion gas from vehicles and industry that irritates the airways, has rose by concerning 44%, the report reveals.

For context, a girl demonstrates black dust accumulated on her fingers, allegedly from coal dust settling on her terrace, at Old Post Office area in Visakhapatnam. Photo Credit: V. RAJU.

For context, the city's air quality has additionally periodically deteriorated. During December 2025 and January 2026, Visakhapatnam recorded air quality levels ranging from 'Moderate' to 'Poor'. The Winter months – November, December, and January – drive pollution to its highest levels throughout PM10 and PM2.5, and nitrogen dioxide, a pattern attributable to reduced wind speeds, temperature inversions, and lower atmospheric mixing that trap pollutants close to ground level.

One Town occupies a unique place in Visakhapatnam's history. Long before the city expanded into a sprawling urban centre, the area formed the heart of the city of destiny. From Kurupam Market and Queen Mary High School to the Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Temple at Burujupeta and Poorna Market and to the 175-year-old St. Aloysius Anglo-Indian High School, its narrow lanes and old buildings continue to reflect the city's heritage.

But residents fear that the identity of the Old City is increasingly being overshadowed by its pollution burden.

For context, the difficulty, they say, is not restricted to one street. Residents of Boggu Road, Velampeta, Burujupeta, Relli Veedhi, Rangireejuveedhi, AVN College Road, St. Aloysius School Road, Barracks Road, Kota Veedhi, Lakshmi Talkies Road, Kobbarithota, Prasad Gardens, Ambedkar Nagar, Bhupesh Nagar, Lakshmidevipeta, Gnanapuram and Allipuram, Jalaripeta and plenty of other lanes have repeatedly triggered concern over dust and air pollution.

In recent months, complaints over pollution have additionally emerged from Beach Road and a number of other parts of the city.

In practice, the pollution difficulty is not confined to the Old City. A number of areas of the city and Gajuwaka are additionally facing reservations linked to industrial activity and port operations. Old Gajuwaka Junction, Y-Junction, Jaggu Junction and Pedagantyada have been witnessing complaints over pollution attributed to activities at Gangavaram Port. Residents have organised protests demanding measures to curb the difficulty.

Former corporator and CPI(M) leader B. According to Ganga Rao, pollution from the Visakhapatnam Port and Gangavaram Port was posing a serious threat to residents. "The pollution caused by the Visakhapatnam Port and Gangavaram Port is severely affecting the health of residents. The impact may be long-term and may not be immediately visible. This is a serious matter of concern, " he remarked, calling for immediate action against cargo lorries transporting bulk materials through city roads. "These lorries are wreaking havoc, damaging roads and additionally leading to fatal accidents. Stringent action must be taken, " he remarked.

Visakhapatnam South MLA Ch. Vamsikrishna Srinivas, whose constituency includes One Town, II Town and plenty of of the areas facing pollution worries, noted thick layers of pollutants were visibly present in the air during morning hours.

For context, the MLA alleged that some berths operated by private agencies at the port were not taking adequate measures to control dust pollution and were violating prescribed norms. He remarked the loading and unloading of iron ore and coal needed to be handled more carefully and alleged that vehicles transporting such material were often not properly covered with tarpaulins.

Srinivas pressed strengthening green belts around port and industrial areas. He additionally suggested examining the feasibility of underground storage systems for bulk materials and increasing the number of closed godowns to prevent dust from dispersing into residential areas.

He remarked measures such as sprinkling water on roads could provide only temporary relief. "Water is being sprinkled on roads to control dust, but the dust then settles on vehicle tyres and is carried on to other roads, further spreading pollution, " he notes.

For context, the Bheemili MLA notes port operations were only one of a number of sources contributing to Visakhapatnam's air pollution. Industrial units, pharmaceutical firms and vehicular emissions were additionally adding to the city's pollution burden, he noted.

According to Visakhapatnam City Traffic Police statistics, the city had around 11 lakh vehicles in 2020. The vehicle population has been increasing by at least 50, 000 every year, according to authorities. The growth in traffic and congestion at major intersections has additionally contributed to vehicular emissions.

"Definitely, the growth in vehicular emissions is additionally one of the reasons for the growth in pollution. There were proposals for road widening, flyovers and free-left arrangements to ease traffic. While the city continues to wait for the Metro proposals, " a senior traffic police official remarked on condition of anonymity, but these have not materialised so far.

When pollution levels suddenly rose, office-holders had considered awareness campaigns urging motorists to switch off their engines while waiting at traffic signals, he remarked that during a gathering held in December last year. Nevertheless, the initiative did not receive the anticipated public response.

After an incident in July in the Old Post Office area, where a sudden release of thick orange-coloured dust from a conveyor belt covered trees, motorcycles and nearby surfaces, the long-standing pollution matter came into sharp focus again lately.

In practice, the unusual dust triggered panic among residents. This person alerted the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB). The incident additionally prompted the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to stage protests, alleging that the administration had failed to take adequate measures to control pollution. A subsequent investigation reportedly discovered gaps in the conveyor belt system to be the cause of the dust release.

For context, the pollution control authorities initiated action against those allegedly responsible for negligence.

After the incident and growing worries over air pollution, the APPCB held a high-level review session chaired by its chairman P. Krishnaiah. Representatives of around 18 industries, along with MP M. Sribharat and MLAs, participated in the session.

During the session, Sribharat directed industries identified as major contributors to pollution to submit time-bound action aims within 60 days. The intends would have to detail the measures proposed to reduce emissions and pollution.

He cautioned that stringent action would be taken against industries that failed to comply with environmental norms. The industries were additionally asked to submit monthly progress reports so that implementation could be continuously monitored.

Sribharat remarked dust pollution was largely associated with smaller cargo-handling operators that were yet to adopt mechanised systems. The Visakhapatnam Port Authority had directed such operators to complete mechanisation within six months, he remarked.

In practice, the MP remarked, along with the existing Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station, three more advanced continuous monitoring stations and six further ambient air-quality monitoring stations would be established throughout Visakhapatnam. The data generated through these stations would be created available to the public, he stated.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh TDP president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao advocated permanent structural measures to control pollution. He pressed the construction of boundary walls of at least 20 feet around industrial premises to minimise the spread of coal dust and other airborne particulate matter into residential areas.

Taken together, the developments around black dust chokes lives in Visakhapatnam point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.