Technology makes lethal chemicals transport safer

Vadodara: To make transportation of hazardous chemicals safer in the country, a hi-tech control centre has been set up in Vadodara which handles all the chemical-related accidents across the country.
Nicer Globe, run by the Indian Chemical Council (ICC), has set up the centre with about four years ago along with LCS India Private Ltd.
“The centre’s primary purpose is to keep an eye on the trucks and tankers ferrying hazardous chemicals anywhere in the country,” said Shankar Kuppuswamy, CEO of Nicer Globe.
He explained that if such a tanker meets with an accident on the road, a call will automatically be placed to the control centre in Vadodara, which will immediately contact the local disaster management authorities and firemen for necessary safety measures on the spot.
“Every moment of the truck is tracked round the clock and if the vehicle faces any accident, immediate steps are taken to avoid further damage due to hazardous chemicals in the area concerned,” Kuppuswamy told TOI.
Every vehicle carrying hazardous chemicals is fitted with the GPS. The centre also has the phone numbers of the drivers of such vehicles. A trained staff at the centre monitors trucks’ movements and even slight deviation from the route is flagged. “The company whose chemicals are being transported is alerted along with the person who owns the vehicle,” Kuppuswamy said.
Till now, 50 big chemical companies have registered with Nicer Globe to ensure their chemicals get transported safely. “We assure transportation safety to these companies who are also apprised of their vehicles’ movements, routes and even the time they took to reach the destination,” he added.
“The initiative is aimed at making transportation of chemicals safer in the country along with increasing efficiency of the transport,” said Ravi Kapoor, chairman, ICC Gujarat chapter.