TN Govt Begins Extraction Of Ammonia Gas At Seafood Factory
Tiruvallur: Authorities launched a multi-agency operation Saturday to safely mine and remove ammonia gas stored at a local seafood export company where a tragic leak last month claimed the lives of 18 female migrant workers.
Tiruvallur District Collector S Kavitha told reporters here that as a precautionary measure, traffic in the vicinity was diverted and workers in neighboring sectors within a 300-metre radius of the plant were evacuated.
The extraction process, which started at 08.00 in the morning, is planned to be completed at 17.00 in the evening, but the authorities are preparing to extend the operation until Sunday morning if the extraction process is not completed.
The clean-up operation followed the gas leak that occurred on June 21 at the St Peter & Paul Seafoods Exports Private Limited facility in Kannigaipair village. A leak of toxic ammonia from a cooling pipe caused the death of 18 female workers and hospitalization of more than 80 workers with severe respiratory distress. The victims, all migrant workers, were predominantly from Odisha, Assam and Jharkhand.
Following the tragedy, the state government, the State Women’s Commission and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) launched investigations into alleged industrial safety violations, which led to the arrest of factory owners.
Giving details about Saturday’s cleaning drive, Kavitha said that the operation was carried out after two days of logistical planning and with the coordination of the security team, health department, fire and rescue services, police and pollution control officials.
To ensure tight security, authorities restricted access to a 30-metre ‘hot zone’ where only 15 technical experts equipped with protective kits were allowed to carry out the degassing process. Fire, medical and rescue personnel stand by within a radius of 30 to 75 metres, ready to take immediate action when emergency communication is received via radio from the hot area.
An outer perimeter was secured at 300 metres, where traffic was completely stopped and additional emergency teams were deployed. The Collector explained that although no residential property falls within this 300-metre exclusion zone, residents are informed of safety protocols and response actions in case of accidental leakage. Authorities also urged the public to remain calm and cooperate with authorities.
Once extracted, the ammonia will be transported back to the supply company for a final decision on whether to dispose of it safely or reuse it. Additionally, the Food Safety department has collected samples of shrimps stored in secure storage and the decision on their disposal will be taken after receiving the laboratory test results.
