6 blasts take place at Dombivli MIDC every year: RTI query

The lives of residents and workers of Dombivli industrial region are still at risk, as no measures have been taken to curb the incidents of explosion and fire in

The lives of residents and workers of Dombivli industrial region are still at risk, as no measures have been taken to curb the incidents of explosion and fire in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) region.

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At least five to six such incidents take place in the Dombivli MIDC region every year, revealed a RTI query filed by a social activist.

Between 2016 and 2019, 18 incidents of blasts and fire were reported, in which 21 people lost their lives.

“Dombivli MIDC region is no less than a gas chamber which may explode any time. But nobody has learnt anything from the incidents. The authorities have not taken any action to curb such incidents,” said Raju Nalawade, a social activist from Dombivli.

On September 9, a fire broke out after an explosion in a reactor of Peroxy Chem’s unit in phase 2, Dombivli MIDC. One worker, Sachin Deshmukh, 40, was injured.

Activists said that authorities hardly take strict action after such incidents.

The RTI query also revealed that there are five factories in the Dombivli MIDC region which are extremely unsafe.

In May 2016, after a major blast in Probace Enterprises claimed 12 lives, an expert committee was formed under the leadership of Thane collector, which sent a report to the state government in July 2017 after a year-long study. The report also detailed on measures to curb such incidents. However, it was not implemented.

Rajesh Narvekar, Thane collector, said, “The report was sent to the state government. However, there is no feedback on it. The government will decide who will take the measures and when. If the government directs the Thane collector to take measures, it will be done.”

The expert committee had recorded statements of 31 people from government departments while preparing the report.

It had suggested names of companies, which manufacture toxic chemicals, to be put under major accident hazard category. It also suggested shifting the factories away from the MIDC residential zone.

According to the report, out of the 437 companies listed, there are five such companies in the Dombivli MIDC area which produces extremely dangerous chemicals. The unsafe factories are located near a college, a school and even residential areas. “Either the college and school should be shifted, or the factories should stop functioning,” said Nalawade.

“There is no implementation of the safety measures,” said Amruta Patil, 41,a resident.

There are 500 buildings and 350 bungalows in phase 1 and 2 of the Dombivli MIDC residential zone, which has 40,000 residents.