Gas leak: NGO suggests safe zones around institutions

NEW DELHI: Days after the Tughlaqabad gas leak incident here, an NGO working in the field of pesticide globally on Wednesday advocated establishing safe zones around educational and childcare institutions to ward off the impact of hazardous chemicals.

At least 460 schoolgirls were affected by toxic fumes from a chemical spill near two schools in the south-east Delhi on Sunday.

India Director of Pesticide Action Network (PAN) C Jayakumar, in a statement said, “Even after several incidents right from the Bhopal gas tragedy, our authorities have not realised the seriousness of the problem and are not taking measures to keep away hazardous chemicals from the vicinity of even education institutions in view of public health and safety”.

He further said, “In India, we have successfully established tobacco and alcoholfree zones around schools but failed to bring in such restrictions for more dangerous substances such as chemicals and pesticides.”

Narasimha Reddy Donthi of PAN India underlined the urgent need for establishing “buffer-zones of at least a kilometre” around education institutions and childcare centres.

“Hazardous chemicals, pesticides and or raw materials used to produce such dangerous chemicals should not be stored, manufactured or used in any form near this safe zone,” he said.