Report says hazardous petroleum waste was dumped without safeguards but pollution board failed to act Close on the heels of top Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) officials being indicted by a probe panel for the Jaipur inferno,a special committee appointed by the Vadodara district collector to probe the June 22 blaze in the city has blamed the IOC and WR (Vadodara division) for negligence in dumping petroleum waste. On June 22,a major fire broke out at the IOCs burrow pit and it took more than six hours to douse it. Though there were no casualties,it exposed the systematic negligence. The investigation has revealed lapses on part of IOC and Western Railway authorities. For years,hazardous waste was dumped with the knowledge of IOC officials. Despite there being a potential danger at the site,no arrangements were made to handle a crisis, District Collector Vijay Nehra told reporters on Friday. Pointing out lapses on part of the Western Railway,he said,The investigation found the Western Railway is using the place adjacent to IOCs burrow pit for cleaning wagons and the storm water channel is actually used as an outlet for the residue,which directly goes to the IOCs burrow pit. We have asked the WR to check the capacity and the condition of the effluent treatment plant that it owns. We have also asked them to carry out joint inspection with IOC on a regular basis. The committee also blamed Gujarat Pollution Control Board for not acting despite knowing about the lapses. We have issued instructions to the GPCB to run a check in the entire area where several such installations are located. We have come to know that the GPCB had earlier taken up the matter but did not take any action, Nehra said. Findings similar to one by IOC panel The independent committee formed to probe the IOC fire was headed by sub-divisional magistrate Kamal Shah,Vadodara Municipal Corporations chief fire officer H J Taparia and factory inspector P M Shah. The committees report also compared with the inquiry carried out by the IOCs own panel and inputs were taken for the future course of action. Some recommendations: * The site where fire broke out was literally inaccessible. IOC asked to remove the hazardous material from the 22 acres of land with immediate effect and use the land for some better purpose. * IOC asked to undertake a potential risk analysis and submit findings within four months; told to review security arrangements and conduct off-site emergency drills on a regular basis. * IOC asked to inform the committee about the departmental inquiry and actions taken against responsible officials. * Western Railway must check the capacity and functioning of its effluent treatment plant near the yard. * GPCB asked to check if anti-pollution measures are strictly followed or not.
