According to officials, 52 people are being monitored in hospitals as a result of the ammonia gas leak from a subsea pipeline connected to a fertilizer manufacturing business in north Chennai, which caused shortness of breath and nausea among the locals. After demonstrations by those calling for the shutdown of the facility, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) declared that the leak had been completely sealed and there was no need for alarm.
As per an official announcement here, “the TNPCB has confirmed that there is no ammonia leak now,” and “the gas leak was plugged by specialists within 20 minutes.” The government has established a technical committee of specialists to investigate the issue and send in a preliminary field assessment report in less than a day and a final report in three days.
What causes the ammonia leak?
As reported by Tamil Nadu government officials, an ammonia gas leak that occurred at an underwater pipeline in the Ennore area of North Chennai, India, has been controlled as of early on Wednesday, December 27. According to media reports, the leak happened on Tuesday around 11:45 p.m. (local time). As a result, the ammonia stink extended to nearby petrochemical plants and heavily populated residential areas.
Following the gas leak, which happened at approximately midnight, almost 52 individuals were reportedly hospitalized. The strong ammonia stench caused eye irritation, a burning feeling in the throat, breathing difficulties, and other problems. The leak occurred during the process of pumping the gas in its liquified state from a ship at sea to the Coromandel International Ltd. Factory, Ennore, a fertilizer-producing plant.
Ammonia gas was inhaled by people
Villagers demonstrated in front of the facility on Wednesday, calling for its permanent closure. “Neither the government nor the firm need to explain. It will become another Bhopal (gas disaster) if the corporation keeps operating here. According to Prabhakaran Veeraarasu, Environmental Engineer of Poovulagin Nanbargal, an NGO, ammonia disperses in a matter of hours due to its lower weight than air.
However, because the leak occurred at night, the ammonia remained in the air owing to the high moisture content, which is why many reported feeling lightheaded and breathless. He informed DH, “I think they were exposed to extremely high levels of ammonia for a few hours last night.” DH.
The ammonia levels in the surrounding air and the water increased to dangerous levels by 3 am on Wednesday, even though the gas leak was contained for 20 minutes. According to the TNPCB, ammonia levels in the air and sea were five and ten times higher than the recommended threshold, respectively, but by four in the morning, they had dropped to 0 parts per million.
Ammonia gas leak: the incident and its aftermath
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has reported a gas leak at Ennore, a factory in Tamil Nadu. The leak was contained within 20 minutes, and the company will resume operations after rectifying the abnormalities. The leak was caused by an 8-inch flexible HDPE pipeline.
The TNPCB has formed an expert committee to investigate a gas leak, involving professors from IIT-M and other institutes, following the Southern Bench’s recognition of the issue, aiming to submit an interim and detailed report within three days. TNPCB has been instructed to identify the exact location and extent of pipeline damage before commencing the ammonia transfer from the ship. TNPCB has also reported a major impact on marine life due to pipeline damage, causing breathlessness, giddiness, and vomiting. The company is now identifying the exact location of the damage before commencing ammonia transfer from the ship. Fishermen found thousands of fish, prawns, and crabs dead, highlighting the urgent need for investigation.
