KOLLAM: Officials from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will conduct a two-day inspection at the Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML) plants at Chavara in the wake of the recent gas leaks.
The inspection, to be conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, is to determine whether to operate the plants or not. It is estimated that the company is suffering a loss of around Rs 1.40 crore per day due to the closure.
The report submitted by Intelligence ADGP A Hemachandran had stated that the gas leak on the second day too was from the KMML plant. But, the KMML authorities maintained that though the gas leak on the first day, August 6, was from the plant, the leak on August 7 was not. Trade unions associated with the company said that the sabotage angle should be thoroughly investigated and alleged that a private lobby was working behind the scenes for the closure of the company.
“We hope that the CPCB inspection will bring some clarity to the issue,” said a union representative. PTA members of three nearby schools - Government Higher Secondary School, Sankaramangalam; Government Girls High School, Chavara and Kamankulangra Government School - are planning to take out a protest march and stage a dharna in front of the KMML plant on Monday. The dharna is being planned to demand the speedy disbursement of medical aid by the KMML authorities to students who were hospitalised during the two-days of gas leak.