CHENNAI: In a double whammy to the residents of Ennore who are still struggling with the ill-effects of the recent oil spill from Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), 57 people were hospitalised on Wednesday after ammonia gas leaked from a fertiliser manufacturer company in the area.
Hospital sources said all those being treated, including those in the ICU, are stable. The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal has taken suo motu cognisance of the issue and the state government has ordered a temporary shutdown of the company.
"All of the affected people are fine and are continuously being treated. People admitted to the ICU are not severely affected. All are expected to be discharged in a day and the government would take care of their medical expenses," Health Minister Ma. Subramaniyan told the press.
Medical camps are set up in the affected villages and people are complaining of eye irritation, sore throat and breathing difficulties.
The leakage occurred at Coromandel International in Ennore around 11.30 pm on Tuesday during the pre-cooling process to pump ammonia in liquid form. The pungent odour could be smelt till Nethaji Nagar, located five kilometres south of the plant, and hundreds of families woke up experiencing suffocation and feeling difficulty to breathe.
“During our routine operation, an abnormality was noticed in the ammonia unloading subsea pipeline at 11.30 pm on Tuesday,” the company said in a statement. Residents, however, alleged that the company had failed to alert them about the leakage.
Subashini, a resident of Kattukuppam told TNIE, "Few workers who were returning from noticed abnormality and panickingly alerted the villagers. People were transported through ambulance and government bus."
Poongodi, a resident, said, “There was frantic announcement at my doorstep asking us to leave as there was a gas leak. My daughter and I walked for more than two km and took refuge in a temple.” The situation stabilised at 5am. Aggrieved residents and fishermen staged a protest outside two gates of the facility demanding its immediate closure.
Subashini, a resident of Kattukuppam, told TNIE, “People were transported in ambulances and a government bus. The company neither alerted us nor did they coordinate the rescue operation.”
The Coromandel International Limited in a press release said that the situation would be restored to normalcy in the shortest time. "During the process, few members in the community expressed discomfort and were given medical attention immediately," the release read.
Ammonia levels breach permissible limit in area, firm’s operations shut
An official release from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) said the team recorded the ammonia level in the ambient air to be 3 ppm (2090 microgram/ m3 as against 400 microgram/m3 on a 24- hour average) at 3.30am near the unit’s material gate. The ammonia level in seawater was found to be 49 mg/l as against the marine discharge standard of 5 mg/l.
“A message was received from the unit at 12.45 am regarding the leak and TNPCB officials reached the site by 2.15 am,” the press release said. While seven people, including two children, were admitted to Government Stanley Hospital, 50 people are being treated at Aakash Hospital in Thiruvottiyur.
According to Akash hospital, around 35 people needed oxygen support and 11 were admitted to ICU. Health Minister Ma Subramanian, who visited them in the hospital, said, “All the patients are expected to be discharged in a day and the government would take care of their medical expenses.” Writer and researcher Nityanand Jayaraman said the levels of ammonia ought to have been measured 2km to 3km southwest of the plant depending on wind speed.
“The human nose can detect ammonia at five parts per million or more. Beyond 52 ppm, the human nose cannot sense it. If people had been able to sense it with symptoms such as burning eyes, levels would have been anywhere between 5 and 50 ppm. The US occupational health standards prescribed a safe level of 35 ppm which is not to be exceeded during any 15 minutes in the workplace. There is no reason to be complacent,” he said.
In a letter to the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board, the Coromandel group has requested suspension of operation at the Ennore Minor port following the alleged gas leak.
"It will be brought into operation after rectification of abnormalities to the satisfaction and certification of concerned authorities," the letter read.
The government has directed to temporarily shut the operations of the plant for a week. Locals, however, are demanding a permanent closure of the facility. The government has formed an expert committee to assess the situation within 24 hours and file a report within three days.
Environment Minister SV Meyyanathan said the government would do a thorough inspection and review the safety audits and disaster mitigation plans of the red category industry in Ennore.
(With inputs from T Muruganandham, Sinduja Jane, Vaitheeswaran B and Lokeshwaran E @ Chennai)
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