Over 50 residents and policemen affected by Sunday's unexplained leak; cops say people made matters worse by burning the chemicals
Over 50 residents and policemen affected by Sunday's unexplained leak; cops say people made matters worse by burning the chemicals
Sunday's chemical leak at Sanjay Gandhi Nagar that has so far left over 50 people ill could possibly have been contained had a few bumbling residents not set the offending chemical barrels on fire instead of reporting the problem to the authorities.
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As a result, the situation is so bad now that even the police investigating the leak at the site have takenu00a0 ill.
Playing with fire.
According to the police, when the smell of the chemicals got unbearable, a few residents set out to find the source -- barrels containing a red smelly substance in the railway backyard at Srirampuram. Suspecting foul play and hoping to destroy the chemical consignment, they set fire to the barrels. However, their act only aggravated the problem.
The foul stench increased and children began to have trouble breathing. Experts said the drums should have been left untouched.
Meanwhile, officers camping at the site to investigate the incident started complaining of headache and burning sensation in their chests yesterday. Srirampura Police Inspector Upadhaya VP said, "There have been no casualties reported. Residents in and around Srirampura have been forced to live with the pungent odour. We suspect that the persons who dumped the barrels have gone underground since the news of the leak spread." Police have taken up a negligence case against persons responsible for the health hazard.
Experts take a look
Authorities from the BBMP, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and experts from the Forensic Science Lab visited the spot and collected samples to ascertain the type of chemical. Temporarily, authorities have covered the chemical with mud to reduce unbearable stench. "We are waiting for the experts' report to book the accused under appropriate charges," Upadhaya said.
Legal action
The BBMP has slapped a notice on the South Western Railway for not stopping hazardous waste from being dumped in their premises. "If the railways fail to take remedial action, they would be liable for prosecution," a senior official in the BBMP said. The notice has been issued under IPC sections 268, 269, 270 and 278 and Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act 1976.
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