VISAKHAPATNAM: The police have served a show-cause notice on Sravan Shipping Services Pvt Ltd for non-compliance of rules under the Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012.
The notice was issued to it following an inquiry that found violations in storage of ammonium nitrate in its 10 warehouses in Mindi area of Vizag.
Commissioner of Police MK Sinha said on Friday that the Sravan Shipping Services Pvt Ltd management has been given a week to reply to the notice. If it fails to give a proper reply, the no objection certificate (NOC) will be revoked.
In the inquiry, it was found that there were violations with regard to safety provisions stipulated under Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012. The alleged violations include construction of the store houses without keeping safe distance as specified and as proposed by Sravan Shipping Services Pvt Ltd in the site plan. It also found that the company didn’t follow the safety distance of nine metres between storehouses and compound wall and 90 metres gap between each warehouse.
Meanwhile, three vessels carrying 45,000 MT ammonium nitrate got stranded in the sea as the district administration has suspended the berthing of vessels carrying ammonium nitrate at the port. It ordered that the cargo would not be handled until authorities concerned give clearance, sources said.
In August first week, a committee comprising RDO K Penchala Kishore, Pollution Control Board EE Subhan and Inspector of Factories Siva Sankar Reddy, visited the shipping company’s warehouse where the ammonium nitrate was stored.
The panel, however, asked the disaster management officials to conduct an in-depth study and suggest measures to prevent accidents. The inspection was then conducted in the wake of an explosion at Beirut port on August 4 that killed at least 200 people and injured around 5,000 others.