By SNV Sudhir
Visakhapatnam, April 7, 2013 : The Heritage Foods dairy plant in Bayyavaram, where a fire claimed the lives of three workers on Sunday, had not obtained permission from the fire department. Fire department officials belonging to the Anakapalle circle had inspected the plant premises in March 2011 and found that the fire safety equipment was not completely installed. The dairy was operating without obtaining the mandatory No-objection Certificate from the fire safety department.
The dairy was directed to apply for the NoC. “Until now they have not turned up. The dairy plant doesn't have an NoC from our department. We have been insisting for long that they get it. But there is no response from them," said P.S. Naidu, fire officer of the Anakapalle circle.
Flouting fire safety rules in this way is a fairly common practice. Of the 103 industrial units spread over five mandals that is covered by the Anakapalle circle, only a couple have obtained the required certificate. Almost all important industries, including pharmaceutical units in Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City (JNPC), come under Anakapalle circle.
The string of accidents in the recent past at VSP, Nagarjuna Agrichem in Srikakulam, Auctus Pharma Ltd at JNPC in Parawada, Hetero Drugs in Nakkapalli, Avra Laboratories and now at Heritage Foods, has raised questions about industrial safety.
In the rush to encourage industrialisation in the district, the safety of workers and securing NoCs from the fire department, have been sidelined. Before 2010, NoCs were not compulsory. Since then, industrial units are seeking clearance through the district industries centre.
According to Section 38 of the Factories Act, 1948, every industrial unit has to maintain equipment such as extinguishers to douse fire and its spread.
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