Vizag industries flout safety norms

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Aug 25, 2013: A string of industrial accidents in this region has raised serious concerns over the safety of those working in the units and also those living in the vicinity. Vizag district alone has 1.18 lakh people working in 1,095 industries.

And around 108 industries are susceptible for accidents. As many as 91 accidents were reported in 69 factories between 2010 and 2012.  Around 28 persons died and more than 30 were injured severely and still undergoing treatment, in various industrial accidents that took place in Vizag and Srikakulam since last May itself.  These incidents reflect the lack of safety measures at the industries.

Vizag was also identified as a critically polluted area by the Central Pollution Control Board and a moratorium was mooted on greenfield and brownfield projects as the city is located in a ‘bowl’ and there is no escape route in the event of a major disaster. Industries are located on the outskirts of Vizag within a 70-km radius. 

Teams deployed to audit safety norms of the industries in June after the fire at HPCL, had inspected around 90 industrial units. After the audit the local office of the directorate of factories had issued notices to more than 60 percent of the units. 

Closure notices were issued to 12 industries to shut them immediately for failing to maintain safety standards or install safety mechanism even after serving notices recently. The directorate of factories also issued two more closure  notices last week.

This throws light on how industries in Vizag are running all these years without proper safety standards.  Around four teams were deployed to audit safety norms in the industries. The teams comprised deputy commissioner of factories, officials from the pollution control board and revenue department as members.

However, a thorough study on the causes of accidents, lacunae in safety measures as ordered by the ports and infrastructure minister, Ganta Srinivasa Rao was never taken up. “Often officers visiting factories fro inspections are pressurized which hinders the inspection finally results in compromise of safety standards. Officers should be allowed to do their job  without any pressures from any quarter,”   Visakhapatnam Steel Plant’s recognised trade union, general secretary and AITUC national council member and D Adinarayana told this correspondent.

Former senior bureaucrat and Forum for Better Visakha (FBV), convenor, EA Sarma felt that the concerned persons must be prosecuted under the relevant sections of IPC. “The units which have defied all safety and environmental norms should be permanently closed down. Proceed against the concerned senior officers of both directorate  factories and APPCB for dereliction of duty in enforcing the safety and the environment norms in the case of these units. They have been in nexus with the errant units,” he added.

On the other hand the local office of the directorate of factories that is responsible for ensuring industrial safety is short-staffed. There are only two inspectors of factories for the four circles in the three north Andhra districts.

They are supposed to inspect all medium and large-scale industries once a year, and factories working with hazardous materials twice a year.  Vizag’s Circle II inspector was given additional charge of Circle I (Urban) which has mostly public sector units (PSUs). The Srikakulam district inspector of factories was given additional charge of Vizianagaram.

The inspectors are also given meagre facilities. For example, they are not allowed to travel in four-wheelers, and they have to depend on their own two-wheelers. The Vizag circle office doesn’t even have sufficient sub-staff like a clerk or even an attender.