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Among the three incidents, the Visakhapatnam gas leak was the most serious. It was reminiscent of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, considered one of the worst industrial disasters in the world. Thousands of people, including women and children, were killed on a cold December night when the deadly methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide factory on the outskirts of the central Indian city. To this day, many survivors and their offspring suffer the consequences of inhaling the poison. The gas that leaked from the Korean company LG Polymers’ plant in Visakhapatnam was styrene, a dangerous chemical that goes into the manufacture of polystyrene; the marshmallow-like material from the ubiquitous white cups in coffee shops and coffee shops.
A company statement said about 1,800 tons of styrene were stored in the tanks. Reports suggest that the factory was closed for more than a month due to the closure and that workers had been cleaning it to begin operations. A scientist, who heads research and development at a multinational chemical company, explained to ET Magazine that styrene is a colorless, toxic, and organic compound, but that it could become deadly when mixed with air. It reacts with oxygen, turning into monoxides and dioxides that are much more lethal than the original benzene derivative, a carcinogenic chemical.
The scientist said that styrene has a high boiling point of 145 degrees Celsius. Due to its nature, it must be stored in a temperature controlled tank. Ambient temperatures at this time of year in India are quite high and if the controlled environment is altered it could trigger a reaction that could break the storage tank. Although the exact reason for the breakdown and leak would be known only after the investigation, early reports suggest that the 40-day lockout may have been a factor. Studies have shown that styrene-related accidents are common worldwide.
Production plants like these rarely shut down, let alone abruptly shut down, the scientist said. However, the blockade forced all industries to close, except those that do the essentials. It is not known if there were enough personnel, monitoring key storage parameters and sensors.
A news report suggested that the plant had operated between 1997 and 2019 without valid environmental clearances. The report cited an affidavit from the company admitting that it had expanded production “beyond the limit of the environmental authorization or changed the product mix without obtaining prior environmental authorization as stipulated in the EIA [Environment Impact Assessment] notification, 2006 ’’. During that 22-year period, the population around the factory would also have increased significantly, bringing more people to the danger zone.
Checks and Balances
That is a clear example of how casually certain industries treat environmental guidelines. Typically, in times of crisis, governments tighten security rules and regulations. But as panic over the economy increases, governments may end up traveling in the opposite direction.
The deadly gas leak comes at a time when India is struggling to break out of a blockade forced by a pandemic and is looking for ways to restart the economy. Covid-19 was first detected in China, and suspicions that it did not do enough to warn the world of the pandemic have turned sentiment in many countries, especially the United States, against it. This has exacerbated simmering hostilities over trade between the two main economic powers. The United States is now looking for alternative supply sites and encouraging countries like Vietnam and India to quickly implement welcoming policies for capital and technology.
The environment ministry has given authorizations to industrial proposals through a video conference for “continued economic growth” during Covid-19, the ministry said in a tweet on April 15. The state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have announced the suspension of labor laws. to encourage the industry. UP said it suspended all but three labor laws for the same number of years. MP said it would increase weekly work hours to 72 and exempted units from most sections of the Factories Act for three months and asked the Center for permission to extend the relaxation by 1,000 days.
India, which has been struggling to emulate China, is in an industrialization stage where that country was in the 1990s. China had empowered the provinces and encouraged competition between them. The provinces, which enthusiastically attracted industries, often operated easy environmental and labor regimes, resulting in severe pollution, accidents, and rampant corruption. Small steel manufacturing units multiplied, turning China from a steel importer to an exporter in a decade. But they were so polluting that a few years ago, he ordered the closure of dozens of them. Similarly, the country also embarked on a crusade against corruption that caught thousands of politicians, businessmen and others in its network. In 2016, China said it has caught more than a million people for corruption in the past three years.
In its quest to reach its richest neighbor, India must not repeat its mistakes. In fact, there is a case to reform some of the archaic and rigid labor laws that have unintended consequences. But a correction should not mean that the pendulum swings in the other direction. Lax regimes could become a haven for dangerous industries and underground workshops. It would cause double jeopardy too. While companies generally love fewer regulations, reputable global and national firms want to locate their plants and suppliers in well-regulated territories, so that their products conform to global best practices on pollution, industrial safety, working conditions , fair wages and sustainability. We must be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water.
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