Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim on Friday directed the Mangaluru City Corporation and other local bodies in the district to map and document various utility lines, including power, water, oil and gas so as to handle any emergencies.
He was speaking at the onsite emergency mock drill and observation of Chemical Disaster Prevention Day, 2015, organised by the district administration and district crisis group at M/s Sequent Scientific Ltd., in Baikampady.
Mr. Ibrahim said mapping and documenting such lines would come handy while dealing with emergencies as otherwise no one would be aware of the exact location of these lines.
“Are we ready to face disaster like Union Carbide at Bhopal,” he asked and said Mangaluru, a hub of petrochemical industries, is always prone to such disasters. Besides getting prepared to face disasters, it is also necessary to create awareness among people how to handle and react to disasters, Mr. Ibrahim said. Speaking on the occasion, S.K. Susarla, advisor, Union Department of Environment and Forests, said the Bhopal Gas tragedy broke the myth that whatever happens within the compound walls of an industry is not public concern.
A disaster management plan is quite essential for any industry, she said and added creating public awareness too is important. The mock drill was preceded by presentation of a skit by the employees of sequent Scientific depicting the negligent attitude of people who deal with chemicals.
The drill featured accidental release of gaseous chemical from the plant and planned prevention of the leak by the fire and emergency services personnel.
