Vishakhapatnam Gas Leak Incident

Vishakhapatnam Gas Leak Incident

The Incident of Styrene Gas Leakage occurred in a chemical plant LG Polymers industry in the early hours at 3 am in RR Venkatapuram village, Gopalapatnam Mandal in Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh on 7 May. 11 people dead, 25 critically ill and close to 1,000 fell sick because of the alleged gas leak in Andhra Pradesh. Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to take stock of the steps being taken in response to the Vishakhapatnam gas leak incident. 

What is a Styrene Gas?

Styrene is a chemical compound identified as neuro-toxins. It is also known as Vinyl Benzene, Ethyl Benzene and Phenyl Benzene.

Styrene Gas is colourless and odourless. The gas spreads in air very quickly. Styrene gas is generally used in the making fan cupa, fan blades and other cutlery. It is also used in making containers where cosmetic products are stored.

Highlights:

• Styrene gas is toxic in nature. It may cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and causes respiratory problems and other medical conditions. 
• The gas leakage affected the surrounding villages namely Narava, B.C Colony, Bapuji Nagar, Kampalapalem, and Krishna Nagar. People who were exposed to the gas faced breathing difficulties, rashes on their bodies, and soar eyes.
• The plant used raw material styrene which is highly flammable and releases poisonous gas when burnt.

 Announcements:

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced Rs. 1 Crore each as compensation to the next of kin of the deceased. The Govt. will also offer jobs to people who are victims of the gas leak and the kin of the family of the dead. Those undergoing treatment on Ventilator would get Rs. 10 Lac each while others who are hospitalized but not on Ventilator would receive Rs. 1 Lac each as Compensation.

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has directed the Arogyasri Trust to cover all medical bills of the Vishakhapatnam Gas Leak Patients, including those admitted to private hospitals under Arogyasri Scheme.

LG Polymers Industry:

The LG Polymers industry was founded in 1961 as Hindustan Polymers. The plant manufactures polystyrene and its co-polymers in Vizag. In 1978, it was merged with Mc Dowell & Company Limited of UB Group.

Previous Gas Leak Incidents in India:

• In 1984, at least 3,787 died in the gas leak incident at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. 
• In 2011, around 20 persons were hospitalized following a chlorine gas leak in an effluent treatment plant in Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune.
• In 2014, 6 persons died and over 30 people fell ill when poisonous gas leaked from Bhilai Steel Plant in Durg, Chhattisgarh.
• In 2018, 14 people were hospitalized after inhaling ammonia gas leaked from a plant in Ratnagiri, Mumbai.
• In 2019, 21 workers were hospitalized in a chemical leak from a tank inside a plant at Nira-Nimbut near Pune.