Lok Sabha Question No. 460 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-21
Subject: Harmful Gas and Chemical Leaks
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Chandeshwar Prasad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICALS & PETROCHEMICALS

## LOK SABHA

## UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 460 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2023

## Harmful Gas and Chemical Leaks

## 460.    SHRI CHANDESHWAR PRASAD:

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS, be pleased to state:

- a.  whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  of  the  harmful  gas  and  chemical leaks in the country over the last 10 years and the recent year;
- b.  if so, the details thereof, State-wise, yearwise;
- c.  the details of the number of people who have died due to such tragedies;
- d.  whether any help has been given by the Government to the victims of such tragedies;
- e.  if so, the details thereof along with the steps/ action taken against the culprits involved in such tragedies; and
- f.  the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  to  stop  such incidents in future?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS

## (SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA)

(a)  to  (f):  The  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEFCC) compiles the chemical accident-related data on a progressive basis, including gas/ chemical  leakages,  based  on  the  inputs  provided  by  the  Chief  Inspector  of Factories  (CIFs)  of  various  State  Governments/  Union  Territories.  The  data  is compiled  as  per  the  provisions  of  the  Manufacture,  Storage,  and  Import  of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989 (as amended) and Chemical Accident (Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and response) Rules, 1996 (as amended). Accordingly,  in  the  past  10  years,  State-wise  data  received  from  CIFs  on  gas/ chemical leakage incidents along with injuries/ deaths resulting from such incidents are placed below:-

| State      | No. of Incidents of Gas/Chemical Leakage Fatalities   | No. of Incidents of Gas/Chemical Leakage Fatalities   | Injuries   |
|------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|------------|
| YEAR 2013  | YEAR 2013                                             | YEAR 2013                                             | YEAR 2013  |
| Punjab     | 1                                                     | --                                                    | --         |
| Tamil Nadu | 1                                                     | --                                                    | --         |

| Telangana            | 6                    | 6                    | 1                    |
|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
| Uttar Pradesh 5 5 -- | Uttar Pradesh 5 5 -- | Uttar Pradesh 5 5 -- | Uttar Pradesh 5 5 -- |
| YEAR 2014            | YEAR 2014            | YEAR 2014            | YEAR 2014            |
| Chhattisgarh         | 1                    | 2                    | --                   |
| Andhra Pradesh       | 1                    | 16                   | 20                   |
| Madhya Pradesh       | 1                    | --                   | --                   |
| Punjab               | 2                    | --                   | --                   |
| Tamil Nadu           | 1                    | --                   | --                   |
| Telangana            | 6                    | --                   | 7                    |
| West Bengal          | 2                    | 4                    | 22                   |
| YEAR 2015            | YEAR 2015            | YEAR 2015            | YEAR 2015            |
| Arunachal Pradesh    | 1                    | --                   | --                   |
| Assam                | 1                    | --                   | 11                   |
| Delhi                | 5                    | 4                    | 7                    |
| Gujarat              | 12                   | 7                    | 24                   |
| Haryana              | 1                    | --                   | --                   |
| Himachal Pradesh     | 1                    | --                   | 3                    |
| Jharkhand            | 3                    | --                   | 18                   |
| Madhya Pradesh       | 3                    | --                   | 3                    |
| Maharashtra          | 2                    | 1                    | --                   |
| Punjab               | 1                    | 6                    | 100                  |
| Rajasthan            | 1                    | --                   | --                   |
| Tamil Nadu           | 2                    | 9                    | --                   |
| Telangana            | 18                   | 35                   | 36                   |
| Uttar Pradesh        | 5                    | 12                   | 21                   |
| West Bengal          | 2                    | --                   | --                   |
| YEAR 2016            | YEAR 2016            | YEAR 2016            | YEAR 2016            |
| Assam                | 1                    | --                   | --                   |
| Delhi                | 1                    | 2                    | --                   |
| Gujarat              | 11                   | 18                   | --                   |
| Maharashtra          | 8                    | 17                   | 165                  |
| Odisha               | 1                    | --                   | --                   |
| Rajasthan            | 5                    | 14                   | 1                    |
| Telangana            | 26                   | 35                   | 17                   |
| Uttar Pradesh        | 1                    | 1                    | --                   |
| YEAR 2017            | YEAR 2017            | YEAR 2017            | YEAR 2017            |
| Delhi                | 1                    | --                   | 475                  |
| Gujarat              | 2                    | 1                    | --                   |
| Maharashtra          | 4                    | 2                    | 1                    |
| Odisha               | 4                    | 3                    | 9                    |
| Rajasthan            | 6                    | 20                   | 20                   |
| Tamil Nadu           | 1                    | --                   | --                   |
| Telangana            | 1                    | --                   | --                   |
| Uttar Pradesh        | 1                    | --                   | 200                  |
| West Bengal          | 3                    | 6                    | 8                    |
| YEAR 2018            | YEAR 2018            | YEAR 2018            | YEAR 2018            |

| Assam Bihar    | 7 1       | -- 1      | -- --     |
|----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Gujarat        | 6         | 5         | 12        |
| Maharashtra    | 1         | 1         | 11        |
| Telangana      | 9         | 12        | 14        |
| Uttar Pradesh  | 1         | --        | --        |
| YEAR 2019      | YEAR 2019 | YEAR 2019 | YEAR 2019 |
| Assam          | 1         | --        | --        |
| Gujarat        | 10        | 5         | --        |
| Maharashtra    | 6         | 4         | 2         |
| Odisha         | 2         | --        | --        |
| Telangana      | 8         | 7         | 9         |
| YEAR 2020      | YEAR 2020 | YEAR 2020 | YEAR 2020 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 4         | 14        | 4017      |
| Assam          | 2         | 2         | ---       |
| Guajarat       | 8         | 31        | 96        |
| Maharashtra    | 7         | 6         | 16        |
| Tamil Nadu     | 1         | 6         | --        |
| Telangana      | 19        | 11        | 25        |
| Uttar Pradesh  | 1         | --        | --        |
| YEAR 2021      | YEAR 2021 | YEAR 2021 | YEAR 2021 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1         | 3         | 3         |
| Assam          | 3         | --        | --        |
| Karnataka      | 1         | --        | --        |
| Kerala         | 1         | --        | --        |
| Maharashtra    | 4         | 23        | 7         |
| Tamil Nadu     | 3         | 32        | 60        |
| Telangana      | 7         | 1         | 2         |
| Uttar Pradesh  | 1         | --        | --        |
| YEAR 2022      | YEAR 2022 | YEAR 2022 | YEAR 2022 |
| Assam          | 4         | --        | --        |

The State Govts./ UT Administrations, along with the District Administration are the first responders to provide accident relief during the incidents of chemical accidents, including gas leakage incidents, to the victims.

The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change  administers the Manufacture,  Storage,  and  Import  of  Hazardous  Chemical  (MSIHC)  Rules,  1989 (as  amended)  and  Chemical  Accident  (Emergency  Planning,  Preparedness,  and Response)  Rules,  1996  (as  amended)  to  establish  a  preventive  mechanism  for chemical  safety  in  industrial  operations.  As  per  the  provisions  of  MSIHC  Rules, 1989,  the  concerned  Chief  Inspector  of  Factories  (CIFs)  (appointed  under  the Factories  Act,  1948)  are  the  nodal  authorities  to  implement  rule  provisions  in respect  of  Major  Accident  Hazard  (MAH)  Units  and  undertake  enforcement measures. Accordingly, the MoEFCC does not undertake independent inspections. At  the  Central  level,  the  Factories  Act,  1948  is  implemented  by  the  Ministry  of Labour and Employment through the Director General Factory Advice Service and Labour  Institutes  (DGFASLI).  The  MSIHC  Rules,  1989  are  administered  by MoEFCC through concerned sectoral safety regulators to maintain an operational safety  regime  in  MAH  units.  However,  CIFs  (appointed  under  the  Factories  Act, 1948) are empowered to take penal actions under the provisions of the Factories Act, 1948. The MSIHC Rules, 1989 mandates the occupier of major accident hazard (MAH) units to update the Safety Audit Report once a year by conducting a fresh safety audit and submitting a copy to CIFs within 30 days. The occupiers of MAH units are also  responsible  for  the  preparation  and  update  of  the  'On-site  emergency  plan'. The  MSIHC  Rules,  1989  also  assigns  the  responsibility  of  preparing  of  Off-site Emergency  Plan  of  a  district  to  the  District  Collector  or  designated  District Emergency Authority (DEA) by State Government. The CIF, appointed under the Factories Act,. 1948, is required to assist the DEAs in the preparation of the Offsite Emergency Plan. Recently,  the  MoEFCC  and  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  have developed an 'Integrated Guidance Framework for Chemicals Safety in respect of Isolated Storage(s) and Industries covered under MSIHC  Rules, 1989 in compliance to  the  directions  of  Hon'ble  National  Green  Tribunal.  The  framework was  circulated  to  the  Chief  Secretaries/  UT  Administrators  of  all  States/  UTs  in January, 2022. The  Integrated Guidance  Framework  prescribes  for regular inspections  of  industrial  and  chemical  sites,  ensuring  preparation  of  the  on-site emergency plans, undertaking safety audits, and sharing information among other

stakeholders agencies, in case of observed non-compliance.

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