Lok Sabha Question No. 5693 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-07
Subject: Accidents in Ordnance Factories
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

## DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE PRODUCTION

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5693

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 7 TH  APRIL, 2017

## ACCIDENTS IN ORDNANCE FACTORIES

## 5693.  SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE j{kk ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of accidents occurring in and around defence ordnance factories in past two years;
- (b) the  revenue  expenditure  spent  on  defence  ordnance  factories  from  2013-14  to 2016-17 and the budget allocation in 2017-18;
- (c) whether there has been decline in the budget allocation in 2017-18 as compared to the previous year;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the    measures  taken  to  secure  and  maintain  the  expensive  defence  equipment at ordnance factories?

## A    N    S    W    E    R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(DR. SUBHASH BHAMRE)

र  ा रा य मं ी

(डा. सुभाष भामरे)

(a) to (e): A statement is attached.

*******

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5693 FOR ANSWER ON 7.4.2017

- (a) Details of accidents occurred in the past two years are as under:
- (i) Explosion at Ordnance Factory Itarsi, Bldg. No. 302 of Acid Section on 30.03.2015 was caused by the Nitroglycerine (NG) present in the waste  acid  (spent  acid).  No  casualties/injury  to  any  person  was reported.
- (ii) Fire at Ordnance Factory Bolangir, Bldg. No. 0505 on 30.05.2015 was occurred.  As  per  the  enquiry  report,  the  reason  may  be  due  to initiation  of  Nitro cellulose which  initiated  the  fire  of  molten TNT  at high temperature. No casualties/injury to any person was reported.
- (iii) Fire  at  Ordnance  Factory  Dehu  Road,  Unit  -  IV  Bldg.  No.  210  on 08.07.2015. As per the report, the most likely cause for the accident is electrical short circuit in the building which might be due to electrical balance kept in the building. No casualties/injury to any person was reported.
- (iv) Explosion at Ordnance Factory Kirkee Bldg. No. 307 on 10.08.2015 of F1 Section. As per the enquiry report, the probable cause of accident is due to friction between dried Mercury Fulminate (MF) particles and foreign matter during physical inspection to check  the  drying operation.  Explosion  might  have  initiated  by  the  dried  MF.  One person was injured.
- (v) Electrical accident at Metal & Steel Factory Ishapore, Bldg. No. 307 of F1 Section on 17.09.2015 was due to short circuit among the phases of the Power Transformer (P.T.) Terminals. A severe flash-over took place which melted (at five places) of the metallic sheet of P.T. cover. One person was suffered from burn injury and died.
- (vi) Explosion at Ordnance Factory Khamaria SA-4 Section on 14.10.2015 was  due  to  various  types  of  combustible  materials  present  in  the close  proximity  of  the  burning  platform  along  with  other  noncompatible  waste  explosives,  which  accelerated  the  burning  of oversized  High  Explosive  Torpex  4A.  No  casualties/injury  to  any person was reported.
- (vii) Fire at Metal and Steel Factory Ishapore, on 07.03.2016 at 2650 Ton Hydraulic  Press  was  due  to  the  Hydraulic  oil  line  got  exposed  to atmosphere and sudden gush of oil in jet form, came out of the pipe and fell on the Hot Forging Component resulting in the Fire incident. One person was died.

- (viii) Explosion at Ordnance Factory Itarsi in Bldg No. 812 of Ball Powder (BP)  Section  on  09.04.2016  was  due  to  static  charge  resulting  an electric  spark  which  ignited  the  ball  powder  propellant  in  the  bin. Subsequently, this led to mass fire of the propellant inside bin. One person was died.
- (ix) Fire  at  Ordnance  Factory  Bolangir  near  Unit  15  on  23.04.2015  was due to high ambient temp. up to 49 ⁰ C and heat wave. The fire was broke at the right side of the jungle towards  Unit -15.  No casualties/injury to any person was reported.
- (b) The revenue expenditure spent on Ordnance Factories from 2013-14 to 2016-17 and the budget allocation in 2017-18 is as under:

(Rs. in Crores)

| Year                    |   2013-14 |   2014-15 |   2015-16 |   2016-17 (Proj) |   2017-18 (BE) (Voted) |
|-------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------------|------------------------|
| Revenue Expenditure     |  12833.7  |  12832.2  |  14133.4  |         16758.1  |               19213    |
| Receipts & Recoveries   |  12000.6  |  12001.2  |  13711.5  |         15378.2  |               18028.7  |
| Net Revenue Expenditure |    833.04 |    830.92 |    421.86 |          1379.94 |                1184.27 |

- (c) There  is  no  decline  in  the  Budget  allocation  in  2017-18  as  compared  to previous year.
- (d) Does not arise in view of reply at (c) above.
- (e) The measures taken to secure and maintain the expensive Defence equipment at Ordnance Factories are as under:-
- (i)    DGOF  is  sanctioned with  105 Defence Security Corps (DSC) Platoons for core security. The armed troops of DSC are deployed in pickets of (01 NCO and 03 ORs each)  along the perimeter of  production  areas  and  for access control on In / Out gates. They also escort consignments of arms, ammunitions and explosives during transportation.  Out of 41 factories, 40 factories and HQ OFB have DSC cover.  Ordnance Clothing Factory, Avadi does  not  have  DSC  troops  at  present  and  the  core  security  is  being provided  by  Private Security Guards (PSGs). These PSGs are Ex Service

......3/-

Man(ESM)  contracted  through  Director  General  of  Resettlement  (DGR) sponsored security agencies. (ii)  DSC is assisted by Durwans.  They are deployed for estate security and assist  DSC  in  access  control,  surveillance and  control  of industrial employees inside the factories. DGOF has been sanctioned 2865 Durwans for its 41 Ordnance Factories. (iii) To make up the shortfall, DGOF has also employed PSGs for estate security. (iv)  To  improve  the  effectiveness  of  security  personnel,  they  are  being equipped with modern security gadgets such as CCTV(Close Circuit Tele Vision), Hand Held Metal Detectors (HHMDs) and search lights. (v)  Ordnance Factories are periodically audited for security by Intelligence

- Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs as well as internal security audit team.

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