Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 4

The Fire Department has issued a notice to the owner of Colour Udyog, a chemical factory in the Industrial Area Phase -2, for allegedly running a business of highly volatile flammable liquids without obtaining an approval.

In its notice issued under Section 263-A of the Municipal Corporation Act, read with Section 22 of the Haryana Fire Services Act, the Fire Department has sought a reply from the owner of the factory, asking him as to why his property should not be sealed in the interest of the public at large.

Eight fire incidents in the past

Since April 1991, fire incidents have been reported at the unit at least eight times, the latest being on August 11, 2020. The fire was so intense that vehicles from Kalka, Zirakpur and Dera Bassi were pressed into service. After the incident last year, the police had booked the owner on a complaint of the manager of the adjoining factory.

The Fire Department has also asked the factory owner to pay the “heavy cost” borne by it to extinguish the fire at his property on many occasions.

The industrial plot was originally allotted to M/S Puri Enterprises by the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (now HUDA) in 1985 for setting up a project for manufacturing biscuit. Puri later sold the factory to Ashwani Jindal, who is the current owner.

Since April 1991, fire incidents have been reported at the unit at least eight times, the latest being on August 11, 2020. The fire was so intense that vehicles from Kalka, Zirakpur and Dera Bassi were pressed into service.

After the incident last year, the police had booked Jindal Sections 285(Negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others) and 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the IPC on a complaint of the manager of the adjoining factory, VN Luxury House LLP.

Tarundeep Singh had alleged their factory, which is owned by Vinay Kumar, had suffered losses in the fire caused due to the negligence on the part of Jindal.

Jindal was subsequently arrested in November.

Panchkula Fire Officer Gurmail Singh said despite no clearance, the factory had been engaged in chemical production. “We had recovered highly inflammable petroleum products from the premises. No competent authority issued approval to the owner for running such activities in a clear violation of the fire safety rules,’’ he said.

A district-level SIT was constituted by the then Panchkula DC to look into the regular fire incidents at the factory.

“The forensic experts at Madhuban Lab had found the samples taken from the factory as highly hazardous chemicals. After it was confirmed that the factory violated safety norms, other government departments begun their action. It was pending from our side,’’ he said.

The factory owner has been asked to submit his reply within the requisite time or face action.