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| Photo: english.sakshi.com |
Tragically ironical that in the time the ‘StayHome’ mission
people of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh should find themselves forced to run
out of their homes in the early hours today terror- struck. A polystyrene gas plant
of the LG Polymers near Visakhapatnam started leaking gas in the early hours
and the deadly gas started entering into the homes of more than 1000 people of
five villages in a 3km radius of the chemical plant. Shocked inhabitants ran
out of their homes into the streets breathless and with a burning sensation. Several
of them fainted or lost consciousness and fell in the streets while many others
ran, sat down or stood there helplessly or loitered around in a daze. However, as
against the StayHome irony, at least COVID preparedness of the district helped
give immediate relief to the affected with ambulances, oxygen cylinders and
ventilators kept in readiness. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was also
called in.
Bringing back memories of the horrendous Bhopal Gas Tragedy
in 1984 that killed nearly four thousand people and impacted thousands in the
long term, eleven citizens lost their lives in today’s polystyrene gas leak with
around 25 continuing to be under critical care and more than 300 being
hospitalized. While there was intense media coverage of the tragedy hardly
anyone questioned why the gas leak should have happened and the possibility of
any callousness involved. The chemical plant reopened in the early hours today
after being closed for 40 days due to lockdown. Now, after such a long interval
of shutdown why the factory management should not bother to check everything
and any possible disorder in the plant machinery beforehand, knowing very well that
there was a near-fatal gas called polystyrene produced in the plant? No answers are
given till this piece is written except for one of two voices calling for
prosecuting the factory.
The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh visited the site
promptly and announced hefty compensation packages for the hospitalized, for the
ones kept under ventilators and for the kin of the dead. LG Polymers is
believed to be one of the most favorite companies of the administration and
several irregularities over the years were ignored. Naturally then, no question
has been raised over any negligence or callousness that could be involved in
the incident leading to loss of innocent lives. Even otherwise it has become
customary in India just to condemn such incidents or express dismay or express
heartfelt condolences and do nothing as follow-up. The VVIP archival condolence
messages that get put up too promptly also reflect such kind of deplorable mental
approach. Hope someone would do deep into why such tragedies should keep on
happening and who is accountable for the Vizag Gas Tragedy, this time. It should
not end with experts saying that any long-term impact of the gas leak is
unlikely or the authorities finally taking credit for handling the incident and
its fallout efficiently.
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