Closure notice to chemical factory for gas leak

MPCB issued a closure notice to Nikakem Products after a gas leak caused eye irritation and breathing issues in Ambernath residents.

(Company’s response awaited)

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THANE: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) on Friday issued a closure notice to an Ambernath-based chemical factory, Nikakem Products, for negligence and improper acid storage. The action followed a Thursday night occurrence, when residents of Ambernath, a suburb of Thane, complained of eye irritation and breathing difficulties due to a thick haze from a gas leakage from the factory.

The gas began spreading after 11pm, and by 11:30pm, visibility was severely reduced. It spread across a 1 km area and the situation was brought under control in two hours. There have been no reports of injuries or hospitalisations.

Nikakem Products manufactures hydrochloric acid, phosphorus trichloride, and phosphorus pentoxide.

“The factory was closed at 7pm, but they had excessive amounts of acid stored in drums without adequate precautions. Consequently, when rainwater began leaking through the roof, it mixed with the acid, causing a reaction that generated fumes. We issued a closure notice to the company immediately on Friday,” said Rajendra Rajput, senior official of MPCB, Kalyan region. A gas detection system was also deployed on the spot by MPCB, immediately after the incident.

Senior police inspector, Jagannath Kalaskar, Ambernath police station, said that on receiving information around 11pm that smoke from chemicals was visible in the MIDC area of Morivali village, they investigated and found that it was emanating from M/S Nikakem Products in Ambernath West.

“We inspected the site and observed that the smoke was getting released from a chemical process involving two partially cut yellow drums. It was extinguished with the help of the fire brigade. We will continue to maintain vigilance,” said Kalaskar.

Residents of Morivali village, near the MIDC area, experienced severe health issues due to the gas leak. Panic ensued as smog-like conditions prevailed. Jayesh Nair, a resident of Morivali, said, “We couldn’t see outside the window and experienced continuous vomiting and eye irritation. Thankfully, the rain eventually cleared the smog. This is a recurring issue, with frequent chemical releases from factories leading to toxic odour. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board often fails to monitor such incidents effectively.”

Another resident, Satish Waghmare, who went for a walk after dinner, couldn’t see a building gate just three feet away due to the thick haze. He returned home within five minutes, but the eye irritation lasted for 2-3 hours. He described the night as “severely terrifying,” noting that everyone in his building was coughing.