All You Need To Know About The Vizag Gas Leak

Around 3 AM, 7th May 2020, a gas leak took place in RR Venkatapuram, a village in Vizag. It was a devastating sight. Hundreds of people in the 2KM radius experienced symptoms such as eye irritation, nausea, lightheadedness, and difficulty breathing. Men, women, and children lay on the street and panicked passersby looked at them with uncertainty, not knowing whether they were unconscious or dead. People were being loaded into ambulances by the healthy or were made to sit on the sidewalks patiently. In this early period, people were asked to not leave their homes but eventually, 1500 were evacuated, even from neighboring villages as far as one 14KMs away, fearing that another gas leak could be triggered 

12 people tragically died due to this disaster, including 1 child, and around 200 were admitted to hospitals. The gas leak caused anywhere from 400 to a whopping 5000 people to fall ill or experience other adverse effects. AP Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has confirmed that the deceased's kin will receive an ex-gratia of ₹1 crore each

 The gas that leaked is called Styrene. It is used to create a versatile plastic that can further be used to make toys and appliances. It is non-lethal and has no long term effects on one's health if they are exposed to it for a short period of time. Long term exposure, however, is speculated to cause damage to the Central Nervous System (CNS: brain and spinal cord) and even cause cancer.

the cause of the leak has been identified as "human error and negligence" by the AP Forensic Science Laboratory. The workers neglected to add the auto polymerization inhibitors and maintain a temperature of less than 20°c in the plant during the lockdown. This caused a chemical reaction to occur which produced 150 °c of heat to; greater than Styrenes boiling point (146°c) and causes the leak. This phenomenon was mysterious, even to experts who have been working in the Styrene and Industrial fields for a long time. 

To prevent Styrenes effects long-term and even, for now, authorities are spraying water on the streets and pouring water into the chemical tanks to neutralize the chemical and reduce its impact. Moreover, on 11th May the IAF airlifted 8.3 tonnes of a chemical called PTBC from Gujrat, which reduces the toxicity of the chemical acid. 13000 tonnes of Styrene is being sent back to South Korea (where the company owning the plant is based) and 2 individuals: Director of Indian Institute of Petroleum from Delhi and a Styrene Specialist from Mumbai were also moved to Vizag by the IAF to overlook the operations undertaken to control the gas leak.

Action is also being taken against LG polymers, the company that owns the factory. An FIR was filed due to their violation of certain sections of the IPC (228, 284, 285, etc). The company had also said before the SEIAA that it had expanded production at the plant “beyond the limit of environmental clearance or changed the product mix without obtaining prior environmental clearance as mandated under the EIA notification, 2006". It will probably be classified as a Strict Liability offense. Citizens are actively protesting near the factory. 

This incident is sadly reminiscent of the Bhopal Gas Leak that devastated India. We are sending our hopes and prayers to all affected by the tragedy and to the dearly departed.

Written by: Katyayani Nath