Andhra orders closure of bulk drug unit after accident

The APPCB said the accident in the bulk drug manufacturing industry occurred on Wednesday night due to the explosion of a reactor while manufacturing 4-Nitro -N-methyl phthalimide, due to the non-implementation of standard operating procedures.

Eluru (Andhra Pradesh): A high exothermic reaction in an uncontrolled reaction temperature could have caused the explosion in a three-kilo litre capacity reactor in Porus Laboratories, killing six workers and leaving 12 more injured, the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board has prima facie established. Following this, the APPCB ordered the immediate closure of the bulk drug manufacturing unit, located at Akkireddigudem village in the new Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh.

APPCB Chairman AK Parida issued an order to this effect on Thursday night. Officials of the Board inspected the Porus Laboratories unit on Thursday and detected several lapses, including non-compliance of safety procedures.

"The uncontrolled reaction temperature might have led to pressurise the reactor and could be the root cause for the explosion in the Block-D of Unit-4, followed by fire. The mishap occurred during the first stage of chemical reaction that was being carried out at a temperature range of 150-180 degree centigrade," a report by APPCB stated.

The Porus management did not give any information regarding the accident to the Board, it added. Also, the contaminated fire hydrant water was partly let out into the premises outside the unit. "It is estimated that about 50 tonnes of hazardous waste of reaction mass fell on the ground and 40-kilo litres of water used for fire hydrant system got contaminated. Part of it found its way outside (the unit)," the APPCB report said. Based on the report, APPCB Chairman directed the Central Power Distribution Company authorities to disconnect the power supply to Porus.

Parida issued the closure order in accordance with the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act "for non-compliance of consent conditions and further causing pollution in the surrounding areas" to safeguard public health and environment.

Read:Six, including four from Bihar, die as fire breaks out in AP's Eluru dist