Chlorine, ammonia found in air around PACL, NFL: Report

Tribune News Service

Arun Sharma

Nangal, May 21

The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has detected ammonia and chlorine in the air around factories of National Fertilisers Limited (NFL) as well as Punjab Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (PACL), which probably led to the complaints in breathing by students of a nearby school on May 11.

Reason behind gas ‘leakage’

• As there was no leakage detected in chimneys of two factories, the sudden increase in the volume of gas in the environment for a brief period could be because of leakage in some safety valve or mishandling at the time of filling a gas tanker

Now, the PPCB is preparing to issue notices to the managements of these two factories along with two other industrial units, including a hydrogen gas filling station in the area. The district administration has also been advised to shift the school from the area as it is in proximity of factories handling gases and chemicals.

PPCB XEN Vijay Kumar said the two gases found in the environment were under permissible exposure limit and under such circumstances there was probability that volume of any of these gases increased suddenly for a moment on May 11.

As there was no leakage detected in chimneys of these two factories, the sudden increase in the volume of gas in the environment for a brief period could be because of leakage of some safety valve or mishandling at the time of filling a gas tanker or leakage from some gas tanker while passing through the school building, said the official. Besides, all factory owners in the state had been asked to get audits of safety norms, he said.

On May 11, samples of air as well as water were collected from the premises of the PACL, NFL and the affected school by the PPCB and experts from the Indian Institute of Technology after the suspected gas leakage due to which 30 students were taken to hospitals.

Though all students were discharged by evening on the same day, there was no clue of source of the gas leakage.

ADC Harjot Kaur said the report submitted by the PPCB was being looked into and appropriate steps would be taken after consulting the higher authorities.

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#Environment #Pollution #Punjab Pollution Control Board PPCB