Gas Leak Tragedy: AP Govt tries to restore normalcy at RR Venkatapuram in Vizag

Even as Visakhapatnam was reeling under the aftermath of the RR Venkatapuram Gas Leak Tragedy on Thursday, rumours of Styrene Gas fumes leaking again in the early hours of Friday sent locals into a frenzy. While 50 fire staffers were stationed at the location to reduce the harmful effects of the toxic chemical leakage from Thursday, locals began to step out of their homes, even in containment zones in a state of panic. However, Visakhapatnam City Police Commissioner R K Meena dismissed the rumours and stated that the situation is completely under control. Mentioning that repairs were being done at the plant, the Commissioner asked citizens to not panic, as everything is being handled efficiently. It is to be noted that 11 persons have succumbed to the gas leak tragedy at the LG Polymers plant.

In a video conference with AP Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Visakhapatnam District Collector V Vinay Chand appraised that ” Cold water is being constantly being sprayed to reduce the temperature of the tank. About 60 percent of the chemical in the tank is neutralised and the rest will be done in 18 to 24 hours. The other tanks remain safe in the plant.”

Damage Control by Visakhapatnam Authorities

1. Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner R K Meena stated that all citizens, including villagers in the 2-3 KM radius of the impact site, were evacuated to reduce the harmful effects of the fumes. Further, the city police chief added that people beyond this radius need not panic and scramble to evacuate.

2. PTBC (Para-tertiary butyl catechol) – a chemical used to neutralize the leaked gas, was brought to Visakhapatnam from Gujarat via an Air India special cargo flight at 3 AM on Friday.

3. Water is continuously being sprayed in the area, to reduce the ill-effects of the gas.

4. Naval Dockyard-Visakhapatnam (ND-V) officers, who recently invented a new device used to supply oxygen to multiple patients for COVID-19 treatment, provided the local authorities with the equipment for the treatment of the patients affected by the gas leak.

5. A team of experts, sent by the Central Government, arrived yesterday night to arrest the leak of gas and to help avoid the recurrence of the problem.

6. AP Chief Secretary, Nilam Sawhney, (IAS) told the Chief Minister that the NRDF experts and the local technicals are working to reduce the temperature of the styrene tank.

Probe into LG Polymers Plant mishap sought

With multiple state leaders asking to probe the cause of the incident, officials from the environment ministry stated that if LG Polymers is found guilty of violating the rules, its licence may be revoked. Further, the locals in and around RR Venkatapuram demanded that the plant be shut down post the gas leak tragedy. An FIR was filed at Gopalapatnam Mandal on Thursday, seeking necessary action against LG Polymers due to the damage caused. Further, a five-member committee has been appointed by Andhra Pradesh State Government to probe into the incident.

Patients Stable

As per a statement from the Principal of Andhra Medical University, PV Sudhakar, it was revealed that the people who fell sick due to the styrene gas leakage are currently stable, and are likely to recover by Friday afternoon.

NGT ordered LG Polymers to deposit 50 Crore

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), after a preliminary study, has directed LG Polymers to make an immediate deposit of Rs. 50 crore. The tribunal has appointed a bench to convene a thorough investigation into this accident. The bench consists of NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, Judicial member, Justice Sheo Kumar Singh, and Expert member, Dr Nagin Nanda. This bench has also issued a notice to the Andhra Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, District Magistrate, Visakhapatnam Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&C), and LG Polymers. Additionally, the NGT has established five-member committee to conduct the investigation and accordingly submit a full-fledged report.