Residents of 16 localities affected by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Garbage Transfer Station (GTS), in Ward No. 76, of Gajuwaka, announced on Friday that they would lock the garbage facility and launch a protest from March 20.

B. Ramana, a CPI(M) activist, member of Gajuwaka Dumping Yard JAC and a resident of Ward 76, along with few locals, staged a protest at the site on Friday. They said: “Residents had earlier staged relay hunger strikes from February 8 to 15, demanding the shifting of the GTS, which they alleged has been causing severe health problems.

They recalled that during a meeting held at the Gajuwaka GVMC office on February 15, TDP State president and MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao, had reportedly assured the protesters that the Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana would be brought to the site by March 10 and that the facility would be shifted immediately.

"The promise has not been fulfilled. Instead of bringing the Minister and initiating steps to relocate the dumping yard, officials have reportedly begun laying a new road to the site," Mr. Ramana said. He added that when locals questioned the officials about the move, they were reportedly told that the decision had been taken as per the instructions of the Commissioner.

The JAC leaders announced that residents of all the 16 localities would jointly lock the GTS gates on March 20 and launch an indefinite protest. The agitators said they would stage a round-the-clock sit-in protest and organise a ‘Vanta-Varpu’ programme at the site until the dumping yard is relocated.