Sat Nov 23 19:56:09 UTC 2024: ## Andhra Pradesh Industries Face Crushing Blow from Water Shortage
**Anakapalli, Andhra Pradesh –** Nearly 300 industries in Anakapalli district, Andhra Pradesh, have suffered a major production setback due to a week-long water supply disruption. The crisis, impacting pharmaceutical, paint, and glass manufacturing units within the Achyutapuram Special Economic Zone and Jawaharlal Nehru Pharmaceutical City (JNPC), has resulted in estimated losses of thousands of crores.
The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), responsible for supplying 15 million liters of water daily, experienced a failure of its three water pumps on November 15th. While one pump has been restarted, full restoration is expected only by early December. Industries have been forced to rely on expensive water tankers, disrupting production and impacting thousands of contract workers who have lost daily wages.
APIIC Zonal Manager Hari Prasad attributed the pump failure to mechanical issues and confirmed the corporation’s efforts to repair and replace the affected equipment. However, industry representatives express concern over the severity of the impact. One pharmaceutical company reported near-complete production shutdown for a week. Another industry spokesperson highlighted the reliance on round-the-clock water supply and the impracticality of relying solely on tankers.
Ganisetti Satyanarayana, CITU district vice-president, called for government intervention, suggesting the situation be treated as a natural disaster to ensure affected workers receive their wages. The incident underscores the vulnerability of industrial production to infrastructure failures and highlights the need for robust contingency planning.
First Piper 