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NGT orders probe into gas leak in Andhra
The National Green Tribunal (NGT), August 3, 2022 directed a six-member joint committee to look into a gas leak at a garment factory Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
The panel was asked to ascertain the cause of the incident and suggest measures to prevent such incidents again.
It may mark areas prone to such incidents and vulnerable industries to detect marker pollutants in case of mishaps and take immediate crisis management measures in future, apart from fixing accountability for the incident.
The report will be presented in three months. Suo motu proceedings were initiated following reports of a gas leak at Porus Laboratories Private Ltd, Visakhapatnam, which affected the health of 178 women workers.
The gas leak was from Seeds Intimate Apparel Factory and Porus Lab in Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), a special economic zone, a non-profit Scientists for People submitted to the NGT.
The Scientists for People report said 369 women workers were exposed to ammonia. It suggested that the incident could also have happened while handling viscose fabric for undergarments.
The gas leak was from M/s Brandix Apparel India Ltd and not from Porus Lab, according to Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, submitted the Central Pollution Control Board.
There is no sewerage network at Kanpur’s tannery hub in Jajmau, said an Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board report to the NGT. Untreated domestic sewage generated in the area gets mixed with industrial effluents.
All the tannery units discharge primarily treated effluent through a conveyance channel. A common effluent treatment plant (CETP) at Jajmau treats industrial effluents. The plant of 36 million litres per day (MLD) treats 9 MLD tannery effluents and 27 MLD domestic sewage effluent.
The maintenance of the conveyance channel, pumping stations and the operation of the CETP is done by the Ganga Pollution Control Unit, Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam, Kanpur.
The UP pollution body also looked into water pollution at Rania, Kanpur Dehat and Rakhi Mandi, Kanpur Nagar due to chromium dumps in its report to the NGT.
No hazardous waste is dumped at Rakhi Mandi, Kanpur Nagar at present, the report said. Analysis of groundwater samples indicates that the subsoil water is not contaminated, so there is no need for remediation.
Piped water supply to the residents of Rakhi Mandi has been provided by the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam since January 15, 2020 through 2,510-metre pipeline and 225 household connections, the report said. Supply of safe water to the residents of village Khanchandpur, Rania is also being provided by the UP Jal Nigam through piped water supply system since July 15, 2020.
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