Chlorine leak effect: No handling of hazardous cargo at night

Taking lessons from the chlorine gas leak at the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) in July which resulted in the hospitalisation of 120 people, the Union shipping ministry has recommended that all hazardous cargo be handled during day time.

The ministry has also said hazardous cargo lying unclaimed for a week should be shipped back to the country of origin.

According to a shipping ministry official, all the ports in the country will have to follow the guidelines. “The recommendations have been sent to all the port trusts in the country and no laspses will be tolerated,” said the official.

A committee set up under the chairmanship of joint secretary (ports) to inquire into the incident has issued the recommendations.

The committee has also empowered the deputy conservator of the MbPT to initiate appropriate steps to remove all the hazardous cargo from the warehouse without permission from the Customs.

The inquiry committee has also put onus on the deputy conservator of MbPT, making him personally liable for any such incident in the future.

A ministry statement on the recommendations said, “All hazardous cargo would be handled during daylight hours only. Direct delivery of dangerous or hazardous cargo is to be resorted to, rather than storage of such cargo within port premises.” The statement adds that if the hazardous cargo lies in the port for seven days from landing, it will be the responsibility of the ship agent to re-ship the cargo back to the country of origin within the next seven days.

The committee also recommended that all its hydrants should be activated before December.31.

The head of civil and mechanical engineering department of MbPT should take immediate action to repair the fire hydrant system and ensure that it is in working condition.

In case export cargo is brought into port for shipment and is not shipped within two days, it will be the responsibility of the clearing agent to take the cargo back within the next two days, it said.

The government will accordingly amend the Customs Act 1962, and Major Port Trust Act-1963.

Talking on the disaster management preparedness, the committee pulled the traffic manager. He should take immediate action to include the recommendations of the National Safety Council in the MbPT’s Crisis Management and Disaster Preparedness Plan by engaging an organisation or institute with expertise in the area of chemical safety, it has said.

For the chlorine leak, the committee has suggested action against the firm. MbPT has been asked to lodge an FIR against Agro Gases and James Mackintosh under Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of various acts for criminal negligence, thereby endangering the lives of general public.

The firm should not be allowed to import and export for next five years from the port, the committee has said.