The High-Power Committee constituted by the State government to inquire into the styrene monomer vapour leak in LG Polymers India (LGPI) held a detailed discussion with experts from various fields, here on Saturday.
The committee is headed by Special Chief Secretary (Environment and Forests) Neerabh Kumar Prasad and comprises three members – Special Chief Secretary (Industries and Commerce) R. Karikal Valaven, Visakhapatnam district Collector V. Vinay Chand and City Police Commissioner R.K. Meena. The AP Pollution Control Board member-secretary Vivek Yadav is its member-convener.
In the morning session, the HPC held an online discussion with the expert members nominated by the Union government – the Director of the Indian Institute of Petroleum Anjan Ray, the Director General of the Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes R.K. Elangovan and the Regional Director of the Central Pollution Control Board Bharat Kumar Sharma. On behalf of the Director-General of the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology S.K. Nayak and Smita Mohanty, CIPET-Chennai, and Krishnan, CIPET-Ahmedabad, attended.
Interim report
The HPC elaborately discussed the interim report submitted by the expert committee nominated by them on various issues related to the cause of leak, tank design, monitoring systems, emergency response systems and other relevant technical issues.
The three-member expert committee comprising V.S.R.K. Prasad, Director of the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy, Bala Prasad, professor in the Department of Civil Environmental Engineering, Andhra University, and K.V. Rao, former professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Andhra University, were present.
Later, the HPC held discussions with the Director of Factories and experts from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation in the presence of the expert committee, on issues related to the Factories Act 1948 and the Manufacture, Storage, Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules 1989.
Further interactions
The committee also had an interaction with Prof. Ch. Rama Chandra Murthy, former Principal of Andhra University College of Engineering, and Prof. P. Jagannadha Rao, who were part of the Joint Monitoring Committee constituted by the NGT.
The committee examined the reports of technical experts and discussed the chemical reactions which led to the vapour leak and role of various functionaries in the chemical plant.
They also discussed the NEERI report and the reports from the APPCB and the impact of styrene on air, water and soil.
On Sunday, the HPC will meet the stakeholders and representatives from various political parties.