Fear stalks as ammonia leaks from RFCL’s unit
Official agrees lax construction has resulted in leak of toxic gas
People of villages surrounding Ramagundam Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) are tense over frequent leakage of gas from its ammonia plant since past few days. Last week, three workers had fallen ill when gas leaked from the plant located at Ramagundam in Peddapalli district.
RFCL had been renovated at a cost of `6,120.5 crore for manufacturing
12.5 metric tonnes of urea annually. The plant started trial runs from February 28, with part of the urea produced donated to Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala and rest released into the market through National Fertilisers Limited.
RFCL stores around
3,000 tonnes of ammonia for producing urea.
The plant has, however, been facing technical glitches, leading to stoppage of production on a number of occasions. With issues remaining unresolved, officials shut the plant in March this year for comprehensive repairs. They started trail runs again from May 17.
Ammonia, however, is continuing to leak from pipelines, affecting people living in surrounding areas of Veerlapally, Lakshmipur, Yelkapallygate, Vetal Nagar, Shanthi Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Gowthami Nagar, Sanjay Gandhi Nagar and Chaitanyapuri Colony. Residents are worried and complaining that they are being forced to breathe ammonia-laden polluted air.
RFCL union president Ambati Naresh alleges plant officials have not adhered to standards while constructing the ammonia plant. As a result, there are frequent
AMMONIA IS continuing to leak from pipelines, affecting people living in the surrounding areas.
DISTRICT INDUSTRIES department’s deputy inspection officer Gangadhar Reddy says that while laying pipelines for the unit, officials should have fixed double valves at certain points and not single valves. This is the reason for the leakage.
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leakages through pipelines, affecting plant workers and people living in areas around the plant. District industries department’s deputy inspection officer Gangadhar Reddy says while laying pipelines, officials should have fixed double valves at certain points and not single valves. This is causing the leakage. He maintained that RFCL management should have a system of warning people in surrounding villages whenever there is a gas leakage. People must also be taught about precautions they must take during such times.
Leaders of surrounding villages have submitted a memorandum to the area Pollution Control Board engineer K. Ravidas demanding that immediate action be taken against RFCL for its lapses.
When contacted, RFCL officials maintain that the plant is in primary stages of production and technical issues are common. They will be taken care of before mainstreaming of the plant, officials clarified.
However, union president Naresh has demanded that Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers appoint a High Power Technical Committee to prevent incidents of gas leakages at RFCL.