The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Tight vigil on movement of chemicals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Tight vigil on movement of chemicals

Special Correspondent

Port Trust, vehicle owners asked to ensure safety measures

CHENNAI: The State Government on Tuesday said that personnel of the Regional Transport Offices and police would keep a vigil on the transportation of chemicals from the Chennai harbour and take necessary action against violations.

Minister for Forests and Environment R. Vaithilingam, who responded to the call attention motion of P.K. Sekar Babu (AIADMK) with regard to the "health hazards faced by public due to spilling of chemicals on roads during transportation from Chennai harbour," said the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board had recently advised the vehicle owners and chemical manufacturing units to take preventive measures.

The Chennai Port Trust (CPT) had also been advising vehicle owners on measures to be adopted to prevent spillage of chemicals such as sulphur. Using only well-maintained vehicles, avoiding transportation of chemicals piled up high on vehicles, properly covering consignments with tarpaulin, removing chemical particles from both sides of the vehicles and the wheels, and driving vehicles at slow speed were among the instructions, he said.

The TNPCB held a meeting with representatives of the CPT and vehicle owners on November 14 last and asked them to ensure that necessary safety measures were taken while transporting chemicals to the harbour. Chemical units, including the Madras Fertilisers, Coromandel Fertilisers and Tamil Nadu Petroproducts, were asked through a letter on November 22 last to ensure safe transportation of chemicals through trains to the extent possible, besides covering shorter distances by road, Mr. Vaithilingam said.

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