Skip to main content

Gujarat has 30 per cent of India's major accident hazard units, yet doesn't have chemical emergency plan

By Our Representative
In a major revelation, senior environmentalists Rohit Prajapati and Trupti Shah have said that Gujarat has the highest number of major accident hazard (MAH) factories anywhere in India. According to their estimate, the state has a total of 497 MAH class factories, which amounts to 30 per cent of MAH factories of the country. “Major accident” means an incident involving loss of life inside or outside the site or ten or more injuries inside and/or one or more injuries outside or release of toxic chemical or explosion or fire of spillage of hazardous chemical resulting in ‘on-site’ or ‘off-site’ emergencies or damage to equipments leading to stoppage of process or adverse effects to the environment.
Despite this, the environmentalists regret, the Gujarat government does not have a chemical emergency plan. What the state government’s Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) came up recently was “only a disaster management plan, which is a general one”. They point out that the GSDMA does not seem to think that chemical industries have potential to cause chemical disasters in the state. “Despite the Bhopal gas tragedy that took place 28 years ago, which killed at least ten thousand persons and resulted in about 500,000 more people suffering agonizing injuries with disastrous effects of the massive poisoning, the state government doesn't seem to have learnt anything”, they say.
Meanwhile, Gujarat has “succeeded in widening its industrial base”, the environmentalists, in a recent ind-depth analysis in “Radical Socialist”. At the time of inception in 1960, the industrial development was confined only to four major cities, viz. Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat and Rajkot, and some isolated locations such as Mithapur and Valsad. “Today, almost all the districts of the state have witnessed industrial development in varying degrees. Such a massive scale of industrial development has been possible on account of haphazard and severe exploitation of natural resources”, the environmentalists say.
“The discovery of oil and gas in Gujarat in the decade of 1960s played an important role in setting up of petroleum refineries, fertilizer plants and petrochemical complexes. During the same period, the state government established a strong institutional network. Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), established industrial estates providing developed plots and ready built-up sheds to industries all across the state”, they add.
Today, the situation is such that Gujarat contributes “more than 62 per cent of national petrochemicals and 51 per cent of national chemical sector output. It leads all states in India in terms of the investments committed in the chemical and petrochemical sector. Nearly 30 per cent of fixed capital investment is in the manufacturing of chemical and chemical products. Manufacturing of chemicals and chemical products contribute to around one fifth of the total employment in state.”
In fact, “the production capacity of major suppliers of polymers, PE/PP/PVC in Gujarat is nearly 70 per cent of the whole country’s production. The province also has large quantity of production of basic chemicals like caustic soda, caustic potash and chloromethane. It is the largest supplier of biofertilizers, seeds, urea and other fertilizers”, the environmentalists point out
In this context, the environmentalists take particular note of the fact that the state government is not following the basic thrust of the GSDMA Act, whose clause 2(h) says that disaster  means an  actual or imminent  event, whether natural or otherwise,  occurring in any part of the state which causes, or threatens to cause,  all or any of  the following: (i)  widespread loss or damage to property, both immovable and movable; or (ii)  widespread loss of human life or injury or illness to human beings; or (iii)  damage or degradation of  environment”.
Despite this, the website of the GSDMA states “The GSDMA has been constituted by the Government of Gujarat by the GAD’s Resolution dated February 8, 2001. The authority has been created as a permanent arrangement to handle the natural calamities.” The environmentalists wonder, “What about environmental disasters?” They say, not without reason, “there is no comprehensive chemical emergency plan with the GSDMA. The Director, Health and Safety Department has an offsite emergency plan”, which has not been made public.
“When we demanded a copy of it, we were told that it is secret. Indeed, a chemical emergency plan is not among the priorities in Gujarat, a state with one of the country’s highest concentration of chemical industries”, the environmentalists say, adding, things have turned so bad that in 2009, the Ankleshwar’s industrial area, with 88.50 comprehensive environmental pollution index (CEPI), topping  the list of ‘critically polluted areas’ of India. In 2011 and 2013, Vapi industrial area, with CEPI of 85.31, topped this list.
Thus, point out environmentalists, “Gujarat is able to top in 2009 in ‘critically polluted areas’ in India and continues to maintain its position in 2011 and 2013. The Gujarat chief minister, who is the BJP’s PM-designate does not comment or engages ever on this issue.” In fact, in his book, ‘Convenient Action: Gujarat’s Response to Challenges of Climate Change’ published in 2011, celebrates Vapi’s Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) “which even today does not operate as per the prescribed norms of Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB)”.
“When the CETP of Vapi industrial area is not able to meet the prescribed GPCB norms, what message does the CM want to convey to the country and the world by printing a two page photograph of this treatment plant?”, they wonder, adding, “Despite the polluter pays principle, CETPs are supported by public money; 25 per cent of the cost is state subsidy, 25 per cent central subsidy, 30 per cent loans from financial institute, and only 20 per cent is directly paid by industries. In essence, half of the ’supposed’ solution to the pollution generated for private profit, is funded by the general public”.

Thus, the recent pipeline project of the final CETPs, “was built with the sweat of tax payers. Out of a total project cost of Rs 131.43 crore, the industries paid only Rs. 21.75 crore (about 17%); the rest, Rs 109 crore, was borne by the Central Government, the Gujarat Government, and the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) – all of which ultimately draw from public money. It is a familiar story: The profits are distributed privately, but the institutional costs and environmental burden are borne by general public.”
---
For more details please click HERE 

Comments

TRENDING

Reducing emission? India among top nations whose coal as energy source going up

By NS Venkataraman*  The State of the Global Climate report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that the year 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global temperature of 1.4 degree celsius above pre-industrial 1850-1900 base line.

Lockdown 'total failure' of science more than of politics: Open letter on 4th anniversary

Counterview Desk  In an open letter to fellow academicians, scientists and medical practitioners in India, marking the fourth anniversary of India's lockdown (25 March 2024), the Managing Committee* of the Universal Health Organisation (UHO) has insisted on the need to "repair two years of immense damage to science".

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Magnetic, stunning, Protima Bedi 'exposed' malice of sexual repression in society

By Harsh Thakor*  Protima Bedi was born to a baniya businessman and a Bengali mother as Protima Gupta in Delhi in 1949. Her father was a small-time trader, who was thrown out of his family for marrying a dark Bengali women. The theme of her early life was to rebel against traditional bondage. It was extraordinary how Protima underwent a metamorphosis from a conventional convent-educated girl into a freak. On October 12th was her 75th birthday; earlier this year, on August 18th it was her 25th death anniversary.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

'Wrong direction': Paris NGO regrets MNC ArcelorMittal still using coal-based steel

By Rajiv Shah  A new report by Paris-based non-governmental research and campaigning organization, Reclaim Finance, has blamed the MNC ArcelorMittal – formed in 2006 following the takeover and merger of the western European steel maker Arcelor (Spain, France, and Luxembourg) by Indian-owned Mittal Steel – for using use “climate destructive” metallurgical coal for its projects in India.

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Attack on foreign students: Gujarat varsity's reputation, ranking at stake, say academics

Counterview Desk  Expressing anguish over the attack on international students in Gujarat University hostels, a letter claimed to have been signed by 122 current and former academics has asked the Gujarat Vice Chancellor, Dr Neerja Gupta, to provide emotional support to the attacked students and to ensure their physical safety.  

As double engine takes backseat in Odisha, BJP is pitted against 'firmly rooted' BJD

By Sudhansu R Das  BJP has got 25 years to build its party base in Odisha. After 25 years, it felt helpless and insecure to fight elections on its own strength. The party was almost crazy to have an alliance with the ruling BJD in Odisha.  Looking for alliance at the time of election shows that the party has not groomed its grassroots level workers into potential leaders.  The state BJP leaders woke up and convinced the Central leaders that they are capable of going solo; the alliance was stillborn. The question is can BJP defeat BJD which is firmly rooted in Odisha after launching piles of populist programs in the state.