Lok Sabha Question No. 1048 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-22
Subject: Fire at Central Ammunition Depot in Pulgaon
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA, KAMAL NATH, CH. MALLA REDDY, ASADUDDIN OWAISI, NANABHAU FALGUNRAO PATOLE, RANGASWAMY DHRUVANARAYANA, A.T. (NANA) PATIL, RAJESH VERMA, T.G. VENKATESH BABU, SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1048

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 22 ND  JULY, 2016

## FIRE AT CENTRAL AMMUNITION DEPOT IN PULGAON

1048.  SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA:

SHRI KAMAL NATH:

SHRI CH. MALLA REDDY:

SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI:

SHRI NANA PATOLE:

SHRI R. DHRUVA NARAYANA:

SHRI A.T. NANA PATIL:

SHRI RAJESH VERMA:

SHRI VENKATESH BABU T.G.:

SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE

be pleased to state:

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- (a) whether  a  major  fire  broke  out  in  the  Central  Ammunition  Depot  at  Pulgaon  in Maharashtra recently, if so, the details thereof along with the total loss suffered and the number of officers and jawans killed in the incident;
- (b) whether the Court of inquiry in its report has stated that defective anti-tank mines, packed with poor quality explosives have been the cause of the disaster, if so, the details thereof along with the other reasons identified for the incident;
- (c) whether the manufacturing defects in the anti-tank mines were brought to the  notice of the  Government  /  Defence  Research  and  Development  Organisation  (DRDO)  /  Ordnance Factories Board (OFB), if so, the details thereof and the action taken thereon;
- (d) the number of such incidents reported from various parts of the country during each of the last three years and the current year; and
- (e) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  fix  responsibilities  in  such  a  major  fire  at ammunition depot and also to ensure that such incidents may not re-occur?

## A    N    S    W    E    R

MINISTER OF DEFENCE                                      (SHRI MANOHAR PARRIKAR)

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- (a) A major fire incident took place at Central Ammunition Depot,

:  2  :

Pulgaon  (Maharashtra)  on  31 st May  2016.    There  have  been  19  fatal casualties and 17 non-fatal casualties and loss of equipment and stores as per preliminary estimation is approximately Rs.8.00 crores.

(b) As per the opinion of Court of Inquiry, the most probable cause of the incident was excessive exudation (bleeding) of TNT reacting with metallic container leading to self-ignition (spontaneous combustion) of segregated Mine Anti Tank held in the store house.

(c) to (e): The manufacturing defects have been brought to the notice of Ordnance  Factory  Board  (OFB)  and  Defence  Research  and  Development Organisation (DRDO) for corrective action in the year 2010 when the same was noticed.

On  the  basis  of  the  recommendations  of  Court  of  Inquiry  and subsequent  deliberations  with  all  stakeholders,  the  following  has  been approved  by  the  Government  in  order  to  prevent  recurrence  of  such incidents:-

- (i) Disposal of all defective segregated mines (Anti Tank Mines 1A ND)  for  exudation  of  TNT,  held  at  various  locations  will  be undertaken by Army Headquarters (AHQ).
- (ii) Ordnance Factory will replace or repair the defective ammunition within three months.
- (iii) Army  Headquarters  in  consultation  with  all  stakeholders  will finalize the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs') for:
- (a)  Disposal of defective ammunition in fixed time frame, and
- (b)  Fixing  up  responsibility  for  defect  and  regularization  of loss.
- (iv) Department of Defence Production (DDP) in consultation  with all stakeholders will prepare a SOP  for handholding of Production Agency by the Designer till production stabilizes.
- (v) Army Headquarters will review the security (including surveillance)  and  fire  safety  arrangements  at  all  ammunition depots.

No other fire incident has taken place in any ammunition depot in the last three years and the current year.

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