The cold storage operated by former UP minister Ansar Ahmed in Chandapur area in Phaphamau, was functioning without a valid licence and was not registered under the Factories Act, probe findings submitted to the Prayagraj district administration, read.
According to the findings, authorities had previously issued a notice to the operator, but it was ignored, and the facility continued operations illegally. A court case had also been filed against the cold storage operator, which remains under consideration.
The revelations come after a partial collapse of the building on March 23 afternoon, which killed four workers and injured 14 others. Following the incident, Manish Kumar Verma, district magistrate, formed an inquiry committee led by Vineeta Singh, additional district magistrate, finance & revenue.
During the investigation, when documents were requested from other departments, the facility’s illegal operation came to light, district officials said.
According to a report submitted by Kamal Kumar Pandey, deputy director, (factories), to the ADM, his department had formed a five-member committee to investigate the matter after the incident. The panel included Sumit Kumar, deputy labour commissioner, Sanjay Lal, assistant labour commissioner, Navdeep Kumar Srivastava, assistant director of factories, (Varanasi region), and Sachin Dwivedi, labour enforcement officer.
The report found that an inspection was conducted in October 2024 when 22 employees were present, including seven permanent staff and 15 contractual workers. The facility was found unfit for registration under the Factories Act and was also ineligible for registration as a shop or commercial establishment.
A notice was issued to the cold storage operator in October 2024 for regulatory violations. However, there was no response, and the facility continued to operate without a licence or approved building plan. Subsequently, the then assistant director filed a case in court, which remains under consideration.
On March 24, the five-member probe team inspected the cold storage, including the generator room and ammonia receiver vessels buried under debris. The vessels were intact, suggesting there was no ammonia leakage, the report noted.
“Findings of most departments concerned are against the cold storage facility, but the inquiry committee set up under ADM (finance & revenue) is currently still going through these reports that have just come in. The committee has not yet submitted its final report. Only after the probe report is received can a final deduction be made,” said Manish Kumar Verma, DM Prayagraj.
Weak structure blamed
The Adarsh cold storage had structural weaknesses, the Public Works Department (PWD) report submitted to the DM probe team reveals.
The report highlights a lack of regular maintenance, which gradually weakened the structure. Rusting in the RCC steel and deterioration of the concrete compromised the integrity of several walls and pillars.
Experts also noted that a roof slab beam on the left side was incorrectly positioned on a faulty column, causing misalignment. Additionally, the required reinforcement cover in the shed slab was missing, further weakening the building.
Kamal Kishore Pandey, deputy director, (factories), emphasised that the ammonia receiver vessels in the generator room remained intact, ruling out an ammonia blast as the cause. The building, old and dilapidated, had been overloaded beyond its capacity, leading to the collapse.
“Had it been caused by a tank explosion, the ammonia vessels would have been destroyed,” Pandey said.
