After blast, spotlight on risky units
CM to discuss issues today
Taking serious note of the issue of regular industrial accidents in Palghar district, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting on Monday to review industrial safety and the pollution caused by these industries, and whether such hazardous units should be allowed to operate. The meeting will discuss the explosion on Saturday at a chemical factory in Boisar, Palghar which led to the deaths of eight persons, state Industries Minister Subhash Desai told reporters at the accident site on Sunday. Preliminary investigations have revealed that even before construction of the building, the consent to operate had been given by the state government. Desai also said that an inquiry would be conducted into how an under-construction factory building was allowed to carry out tests.
"Action would be taken against those found to be at fault," the minister assured.
He was speaking to reporters on Sunday after visiting the blast site at Kolwade village in Boisar, located around 100 km from Mumbai, to get first-hand information about the mishap and the damage caused by it. Desai visited the site at 3.30 AM on Sunday, and again later in the morning.
The blast took place on Saturday evening during the testing of Autoclave at the under-construction plant of ANK Pharma in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area of Boisar, killing eight people, and injuring seven others including the unit owner. The blast was heard at a distance of 25 kms from the spot and people who were in the radius felt like an earth quake had occurred.
"The chief minister will discuss the issue of such industries with various department heads and ministers at Mantralaya tomorrow and take a policy decision on whether to allow such hazardous chemical industries to continue operating," Desai said.
Meanwhile, Palghar District Collector Kailas Shinde has asked the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health and the MIDC to submit a preliminary report on the blast.
Disaster control cell chief Vivekananda Kadam said search operations were called off after the body of a missing girl Khushi Yadav was recovered from the debris at the blast site.
District Guardian Minister Dada Bhuse also visited the blast site on Sunday for a detailed review of the incident. He earlier rushed to the site on Saturday night after the mishap and said as per preliminary reports, the plant had permission from the authorities concerned to carry out testing of machineries.
"However, the district health and safety officials
will visit the site today and carry out an inspection. Based on their report, police will take further action," he said.
The factory owner Natwarlal Patel is also seriously injured in this mishap. He has been admitted in a private hospital in Mumbai.
The National Disaster Response Force team consisting of 35 members reached the spot on Saturday night and started rescue operations. The last two bodies to be removed from the debris at the site on Sunday were of 35-year-old Trinad Dasari and 14-year-old Khushi Surendra Yadav.
As of now, an accidental death report has been registered, an official at Boisar police station said.
A spokesperson for the Palghar police said, "Right now no case has been registered, but once the rescue operation is over, further action will be initiated."