Even as a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) tackled chlorine leak in Bhiwandi that led to hospitalisation of 16 people, including 10 children, another team from the agency was holding a demo to sensitise budding dentists in Khargar on the role of the community during disasters on Friday.

NDRF Commandant Alok Avasthy of the 145 Battalion received a call from the Bhiwandi Municipal Commissionerate and the Deputy Collector about the chlorine leak in Bhiwandi. He immediately dispatched a team under the leadership of Deputy Commandant Syed Kalimullah who was trained in battling chemical and biological disasters at the Defence Research and Development Organsisation (DRDO), Gwalior.

“While we left Talegaon around 8 pm, owing to the poor condition of roads we were able to reach the Khoni village at Bhiwandi only around 2.30 am on Friday. Finding the air thick with the odour of chlorine, we immediately donned masks and rushed to the spot where there were five abandoned 900 kg chlorine cylinders. One of them had developed a leak and our jawans and members from a local chemical company used a pipe to release all the chlorine into a nearby stagnant pond,” said Kalimullah.

“Through the night we kept monitoring the cylinder, convincing people to stay out of the village till the cylinder was neutralised, laying stones on the slushy path to enable the other four cylinders to be easily rolled out and driven away. We also visited the hospital to ward off panic among the people and to assure them that they were safe. The leaking cylinder was finally emptied of its contents by Friday afternoon,” said Kalimullah.

... contd.