Nagpur: The Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran’s water treatment plant (WTP) at Godhani, where chlorine leaked early Monday, is yet to be registered with either of the two key agencies concerned with safety — PESO and DISH.For Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), the apex regulator from Centre, the WTP was below its threshold, while the state govt’s Department of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) was waiting for the full-scale operations to start. At present, only trial runs were going on at the plant.Installations having pressurised containers, including chlorine tonners, are overseen by PESO, which has to ensure that the chlorine neutralisation system is in place at the site. In case of a leak, chlorine is exposed to caustic, which nullifies its effect. But PESO steps in only if there are at least five containers at a given place. At MJP’s WTP, there were two chlorine tanks.Since technically the actual operations had not begun, even DISH did not have any direct control over the plant, said sources. On registration with DISH or PESO, even a Jeevan Pradhikaran official said only trial runs were under way.“Once the plant gets operational on a full-fledged basis, DISH will oversee its affairs in reference to the labour codes on occupational safety, health and working conditions,” a source said.PESO only grants a licence for installation of tonners (chlorine containers). The regulator does not cover operation of a WTP. These have to be monitored by DISH or any other parallel agency, said a source in the Ministry of Commerce under which PESO comes.Five WTPs in Nagpur come under PESO’s control. One of them, which has a 16-cylinder capacity, is also located in Godhani and run by NMC. Even DISH has around the same number of WTPs under it, according to sources handling the situation.Apart from the NMC plant, there is another WTP at Godhani that comes under DISH but does not belong to Jeevan Pradhikaran.Collector holds meeting with DISH officialsDistrict collector Kumar Ashirwad held a meeting with DISH officials also, and WTPs have been asked to submit a report on the handling and safety procedures, a source said. DISH has initiated an inquiry into the matter and a report is expected to be put up at the earliest, said a source.
