Commerce and IT Minister Mekapati Gautham Reddy on Friday admitted that the gas leak in LG Polymers occurred due to some lapse in following the prescribed protocols and criminal action will be initiated against any industry or factory that is found to have violated standard operating procedures.
The gas had leaked out of two 5,000-tonne tanks that had been unattended due to coronavirus lockdown in place since late March. The plant was reopened after easing of the lockdown regulations without proper safety measures and adequate maintenance before starting production work led to the tragedy. The plant is owned by the South Korean company LG Corp. Pawan Kalyan and Jana Sena Party president demanded for an ‘Industrial safety audit’ in Visakhapatnam and North Coastal Andhra. In a recent tweet, he wrote, “Janasena demands for an ‘Industrial safety audit’ in Visakhapatnam and North Coastal Andra. I also appeal to EAS Sarma garu and Janapareddy Ratnam garu to demand for an industrial safety audit in these polluted industrial zones.” TDP chief and former CM N Chandrababu Naidu demanded that LG Polymers be relocated to an area where there is no human habitation.
“None will be spared,” Gautham Reddy who spoke to mediapersons on Friday after meeting LG Polymers officials said, adding the state government will enforce strict protocols in reopening of industrial units in the state. “The state government told in no uncertain terms to the South Korean Ambassador that they should act in a responsible manner and follow all steps they take when such a mishap occurs in the USA or Europe. We are reworking our system to ensure such hazardous situations do not arise,” he said. He said around 86 industrial units recognized by the state government will be put through stringent safety audit before they restart their operations.
A day after the styrene gas leak from the LG Polymers plant at R R Venkatapuram that left 12 dead and hundreds hospitalized, the Industries minister said the situation in the region was “safe and under control” and there was no need to panic as experts in the field were engaged in neutralizing the gas leak impact. “We expect the situation to be normalized with 48 hours to 78 hours. The regular operation of the plant has not started and it was only under regular maintenance,” he said.
The government on Friday set up a high-power committee comprising senior IAS officers special principal secretary Neerab Kumar Prasaad, Pollution Control Board member Vivek Yadav, district Collector of Visakhapatnam Vinay Chand, City Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar Meena. The committee has been tasked to conduct a thorough probe into the gas leak and submit a report within a month.
Ordering a probe into the gas leak on Thursday, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, however, called LG Polymers as a reputed multinational company and it was unfortunate that such an incident occurred in a company that is known to follow stringent protocols. When the LG Polymers officials met Jagan at Vizag airport lounge, the Chief Minister told the officials that the state government had ordered a probe and that the future course of action depends on the outcome of the probe report. Talking to mediapersons after consoling gas leak victims at KGH on Thursday, the CM stated that the government will think of relocating the LG Polymers, if required.
The death toll due to the toxic gas leak rose to 12 on Friday when one more gas leak victim succumbed after inhaling toxic fumes from LG Polymers Company. Hundreds of gas leak victims were still undergoing treatment at various hospitals, some of them are critical. Nearly 24 hours after a major gas leak in South Korean LG Polymers Company, news of thick fumes billowing out of the gas tanks in the factory for the second time on Friday midnight had people scurry for their lives.
