VISAKHAPATNAM: Indian scientists must concentrate on new technologies to mitigate chemical disasters in chemical industries, particularly in refinery and pharma-based industries, to help governments to take appropriate decisions on industrial development, suggested GITAM president MVVS Murthi during an interactive meeting with Department of Science and Technology, International Division National-level project assessment committee at GITAM University on Thursday. On the occasion, the GITAM president also suggested to the scientists to design the chemical products which do not persist in the environment particularly end of their function in the industry and technologies should be chosen to minimise the potential for chemical accidents, including releases, explosions and fires.
He was worried about the recent accidents in pharma and refinery industries in and around Visakhapatnam. The Central government referred the Visakhapatnam-Kakinada Petroleum, Chemicals, Petro-chemical Investment Region (PCPIR) to the experts. He mentioned that industrial development was mainly linked to environment and safety issues and the government needs green technology support from scientists to avoid public apprehension.
The DST-PAC committee chaired by Institute of Chemical Technology (Mumbai) vice-chancellor GD Yadav with national experts and scientists from DST International Bilateral Cooperation Division Chdaram Sivaji, Sanjeev K Varshney, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (New Delhi) Scientist Rakesh Kumar Sharma, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) expert Ashok Pandy, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Inorganic and Physical Chemistry department Chairman Siva Umapathy, Centre for Polymer Sciences and Engineering (IIT-Delhi) Veena Choudhury and BP Godrej Distinguished Prof M Lakshmi Kantam will review the research projects.
GITAM University vice-chancellor G Subrahmanyam, UGC Affairs director Ramakrishna, Institute of Technology principal K Lakshmiprasad and Institute of Science principal N Lakhsmandas participated.