A team of Telangana government officials inspected the Salvo Explosives & Chemicals facility near Hyderabad on Monday and found the company, which is bringing nearly 700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate from Chennai, has sufficient storage capacity for the incoming cargo.
The inspection was conducted on the instructions of the Commissioner of Industries, following a report in these columns.
The inspection was carried out by a team comprising a General Manager, DIC; Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories; Executive Engineer of Telangana State Pollution Control Board; Inspector of Factories, Medchal-II Circle and an Assistant Director, Industries.
Sharing details of the report submitted by the team, Industries Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said the inspection was ordered to ensure against any panic in the neighbourhood when the consignment arrives.
The report said the company was established in 2001 and is into “manufacturing detonators slurry explosives etc.” The factory in Keesara mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri district, is having valid permission from PESO (Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation); consent for operation from TSPCB, CFO; and Factories licence.
The permitted storage capacity for ammonium nitrate is 1,250 tonnes in godowns – 750 and 500 tonnes each. There is 609 tonnes of the chemical stored on site and the company has informed that it is going to receive 690 tonnes ammonium nitrate from Chennai in a week’s time.
The unit’s daily average consumption of ammonium nitrate is around 60 tonnes. They have sufficient storage capacity for the incoming ammonium nitrate from Chennai, a report of the officials said. The company has been advised not to store incompatible materials at the same place and maintain safe distance between raw materials.
Salvo Explosives & Chemicals on Sunday began moving the first batch, of about 200 tonnes, of the ammonium nitrate consignment from Chennai. The consignment was lying in a container freight station on the outskirts of Chennai and purchased by the company in an e-auction by the Customs Department.
