🗓️ Date: 2nd March 2026 (Monday)
📍Venue: Samata Campus, Dabbanda village, Gandigundam post,Visakhapatnam-531173
Organised by: Samata, Greater Visakhapatnam Citizens’ Forum and Centre for Financial Accountability
To participate in the workshop, please register using the link below: https://forms.gle/qecGm6QRiL45htgx8
About the Workshop
For residents of Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and surrounding regions, plastic pollution is a daily reality, from choked waterways to mounting waste management challenges. But the story of plastic does not begin at disposal. It begins with fossil fuels.
Globally, over 99% of plastics are made from petrochemicals derived from oil and gas. As the fossil fuel industry faces growing pressure to transition toward renewable energy, petrochemicals and plastics are emerging as a strategic expansion frontier, often described as the industry’s “Plan B”.
This global shift is unfolding locally.
The Visakhapatnam–Kakinada Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (VK-PCPIR) spans 640 sq. km and represents one of India’s most significant industrial corridors. Plans for a massive refinery-cum-petrochemical complex, with projected investments of nearly ₹95,000 crore, are being actively revived. With new agencies restructuring the master plan and fresh MoUs signalling renewed momentum, the region is poised to become a major petrochemical hub.
Industry data shows that polymers and olefins, key building blocks of plastics, already dominate India’s petrochemical output. This expansion risks locking the region into long-term fossil fuel dependency.
The consequences extend beyond pollution. From extraction to waste disposal, the plastics lifecycle intensifies the climate crisis and threatens agriculture, food systems, public health and community rights.
Why This Workshop?
This one-day workshop connects the dots:
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From fossil fuels to plastics
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From petrochemical expansion to climate change
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From industrial policy to community impact
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From pollution to environmental justice
Participants will explore how plastic production is deeply embedded in fossil fuel extraction and how this affects climate, ecosystems and livelihoods.
What You Will Learn
By the end of the workshop, participants will:
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Develop a critical understanding of the full plastics lifecycle
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Understand the relationship between fossil fuels, plastics and climate change
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Examine the role of the state–industry nexus
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Analyse how policies prioritise private profit over environmental and social wellbeing
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Reflect on the impacts of petrochemical expansion on communities and local ecologies
Who Should Participate
The workshop invites teachers, students, activists, community mobilisers and concerned citizens who are troubled by the direction of industrial development in the region. Young people, in particular, are encouraged to participate and use this opportunity to sharpen their understanding and strengthen their capacity to engage meaningfully with the systems shaping their surroundings.
For enquiries, contact:
Chinna Rao +91 96030 14476
Satish Kumar:+91 79897 26755
