Even as the State Government has come down heavily on Bhushan Steel Limited (BSL) following November 13 accident, its refusal to respond to the company’s plea to allow it certain safeguard to prevent further tragedy is bemusing.
This only goes on to prove how irresponsibly the State apparatus has been handling industrial issues as much as the BSL’s nonchalance to public safety.
By sealing off the blast furnace that triggered the accident, the Government seems to have done its duty but overlooking certain industrial parameters despite being warned might lead to a further tragedy as emission of toxic gases is a good possibility if continuous blowing-in process is not allowed in the blast furnace under shut down.
The BSL officials have been knocking all doors in the Government to warn it of the consequence of the mindless shut down of the blast furnace, but apparently its effort is being viewed in the official circles as an attempt to safeguard the latter’s investment.
None in the Government is willing to buy the company’s theory despite being backed by expert opinion - an act of further callousness. Even their request petition to the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary has not elicited any response.
Contacted, Member Secretary of State Pollution Control Board, LK Tiwari, dismissed BSL’s effort of warning a bigger tragedy as an attempt to protect its investment.
But it sounds hollow in the face of the Board’s earlier inaction against the company in not adhering to any safeguard and flouting all norms at will. He went on to say that ‘no problem’ is being anticipated out of this scare as the temperature in the blast furnace should have come down substantially by now after a shut down for more than a week.