Editorial: Avoidable tragedies

The Giaspura tragedy is a damning indictment of the apathy of those responsible for enforcing safety standards

Hyderabad: The recent death of 11 persons in Punjab’s Ludhiana due to inhaling poisonous gas is a grim reminder of the loopholes in industrial waste management in the country. The tragedy struck the thickly populated locality of Giaspura which has several industrial units and a large migrant population. The detection of high levels of hydrogen sulphide gas by air quality sensors indicates that the incident happened due to gross negligence. Effluents illegally discharged into the sewer took this toll in a matter of minutes. Acidic waste thrown into the sewer may have reacted with sewage gases to produce noxious emissions. The city’s many industries, especially dyeing and electroplating units, are accused of making a regular practice of this. And this is repeated across India. Small enterprises, often running out of homes, see themselves as unable to afford the mandated effluent and sewage treatments. Urban local bodies that should be facilitating feasible solutions are themselves frequently in violation of Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 and the National Green Tribunal orders. India has witnessed several industrial mishaps due to poor safety standards and monitoring systems. The Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 was the worst among them. It led to a flurry of activity to mitigate industrial accidents. Environmental laws were formulated, disaster management agencies came up and environment protection gained traction. Yet, in the last decade alone, over 130 significant accidents involving chemical poisoning have been reported in the country. The casualness in enforcing technical, scientific and bureaucratic measures to ensure industrial safety is a serious anomaly.

An audit of the chemical waste dumping procedures is critical, even if it’s a long-drawn-out process. The Giaspura tragedy has put the spotlight on the unscientific and illegal dumping of industrial waste or chemicals and raised serious questions about the lack of adequate safety measures and regulatory oversight in the industrial sector. The fact that a tragedy of this magnitude could happen in the 21st century is a damning indictment of the apathy and incompetence of those responsible for enforcing safety standards. Under the scanner would be the municipal corporation and district administration tasked with ensuring that this does not happen. Abdication of regulatory roles must invite strict action. The incident should serve as a warning that ineffective penalties imposed on the violators can wreak havoc. Several such incidents have occurred in recent years. In 2021, a gas leak in Visakhapatnam claimed the lives of 12 people and injured hundreds. In 2019, a boiler explosion at a chemical plant in Yavatmal killed six workers. These incidents are a clear indication of the need for stricter safety regulations and better enforcement mechanisms. The focus should be on preventing such incidents. This requires a comprehensive approach that addresses all aspects of industrial safety, from the design of the facilities to training personnel.

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