NAGPUR: A technical committee has been ordered to probe the chlorine gas leak at the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) water treatment plant at Godhani, with Nagpur collector Kumar Ashirwad questioning why a 900kg chlorine cylinder was kept in an open area instead of a sealed, contained room.Ashirwad, who visited the WTP on Monday and reviewed the situation, said the committee would submit its report within three days to establish the exact cause of the leak and fix responsibility if any lapse was found.According to the collector, the incident occurred around 12.10am, when leakage started from a reserve chlorine cylinder at the plant. The WTP uses chlorine for water purification and had two 900kg cylinders. One of them was a reserve cylinder and was not in use when the leak occurred.“There could have been a technical issue or corrosion. The committee will establish the exact reason,” Ashirwad told TOI.The collector, however, flagged a major safety concern over the manner in which the chlorine cylinder was stored. He said cylinders containing hazardous gas should ideally be kept inside a completely sealed and contained room so that any leakage remains confined and does not spread to nearby residential areas.“Your cylinder was in an open environment. The building was there, but it was not closed. The room should be completely sealed so that if there is a leakage, it remains limited to that room,” he said.The leak caused chlorine gas to spread into nearby houses, forcing residents to rush out. Police, the SDM and NDRF teams reached the spot. The leakage was subsequently contained using ice water and caustic soda, the collector said.Ashirwad said around 60-70 people were evacuated, while several others were taken to hospitals. Seven patients were in ICUs, though six of them had oxygen saturation levels of 97-98% while on non-invasive ventilation. He said the patients would need close monitoring for the next two to three days as their condition could fluctuate.The collector said the NDRF declared the area safe around 9am, but residents were advised to stay away from their homes until evening as a precaution.The incident has prompted the district administration to widen the safety audit beyond Godhani. Ashirwad said all water treatment and sewage treatment plants in Nagpur district where hazardous gases are stored would be inspected within the next two days.Officials and BDOs have been asked to check whether chlorine cylinders and other hazardous substances are being stored safely and submit reports. The administration will also formulate a protocol to prevent a recurrence.“If there is a mistake, there will be a 100% investigation,” Ashirwad said, adding that the immediate priority was to ensure that such incidents did not occur at other treatment plants.The collector said he had also spoken to the chief minister about the incident and would seek the latest safety assessment from officials by Tuesday.
