A special chemical team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Pune, headed by Commandant Anupam Srivastava, is monitoring the shifting of styrene gas from the LG Polymers plant in Visakhaptanam.
The leakage of gas from the plant in Visakhapatnam on May 7 led to the death of 12 persons and hospitalisation of about 400 persons.
Six villages in the vicinity of the plant — R.R. Venkatapuram, Kothapalem, Gopalapatnam, Padmanabha Nagar, Pendurthi and Kakani Nagar — were the worst affected.
NDRF 10th Battalion Commandant Zahid Khan told The Hindu on Tuesday that the gas leak tragedy was a major operation ever handled by the force in A.P., Telangana and Tamil Nadu States in the last few years.
Pat for respose team
NDRF Director-General S.N. Pradhan praised the 10th Battalion Regional Response Centre (RRC) which swung into action within minutes of being alerted. Personnel in safety gear rushed to the plant and the affected areas and saved many persons, he added.
A team under the supervision of Assistant Commandant D. N. Singh and the special chemical team is monitoring the shifting of the gas from the seaport to the vessel. The gas is being shifted in a three-km-long pipeline, Mr. Khan said.
“It will take four to five days to shift the gas from the storage tank to the vessel from where it is will be transported to South Korea,” the Commandant said.
Another team headed by inspector Ankit Kumar was making door-to-door visits in the affected villages to create awareness among residents.
Focused on the job
“Residents who returned to their homes are requested not to take any food and water, left at homes, before the incident. They should sanitise their houses and follow the suggestions of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) scientists,” Mr. Zahid Khan said.
The RRC rescued more than 100 persons and evacuated about 1,500 families in coordination with the AP Fire Services, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the police and other departments.
“About 60 NDRF personnel are rendering services in Visakhapatnam and they will stay put till the completion of the operation,” Mr. Zahid Khan said.
