The officials of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC) are yet to implement the additional safety measures at its Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) bottling plant at Udayamperoor despite all the promises made in this regard after the gas leakage incident that occurred one year ago. The authorities had promised to develop a new one-way road, considering the constant flow of the vehicles in and out of the plant. “The new path was proposed on the northern area, connecting the Mulanthuruthy road. This will enable using the present path as way in. The new path can be used as way out. This would have ensured the smooth flow of the bullet tankers and cylinder-laden trucks. However, nothing has been done in this regard till now,” said truck drivers at the plant.
Meanwhile, IOC officials said the implementation of security projects are in progress.
“We will ensure maximum safety at the plant. We have set up a parking slot with an area of 20,000-sq ft at the northern part of the plant. We have already conducted the soil testing and the parking space will ready soon,” the official said.
However, the security woes still persist. “There is a lack of parking space. Over the years, the number of the lorries coming to the plant has increased to more than 100 from just about 40. Now, all these additional tankers park on the road leading to the plant which increases the possibility of accidents,” they added.
Meanwhile, sources with IOC said the CCTV camera project and the plan to constitute a safety committee still remain on paper. “The safety committee includes the members of the management and the workers at the plant. The committee will keep an eye on the safety threats of the plant and will give awareness to the residents to take action in case of any untoward incidents at the plant,” sources said.