IIT-B, NEERI on panel to probe mysterious gas leak in suburbs

Two days after a mysterious gas leak was reported in Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday set up a committee

Two days after a mysterious gas leak was reported in Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday set up a committee to identify the source of the smell. The panel has also been tasked with setting a protocol for similar incidents in the future.

HT Image

The committee will include representatives from the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), the BMC’s disaster management cell, Mumbai Fire Brigade, Mumbai Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (RCFL) and Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL).

The hour-long meeting on Saturday was chaired by additional municipal commissioner Ashwini Joshi, who is in charge of the civic disaster management cell. According to a civic official, the committee will conduct the inquiry over the next four days and conduct a review meeting on September 26, before submitting its final report.

On Thursday night, residents of Chembur, Vikhroli, Ghatkopar, Powai, Andheri, Dahisar and Borivli complained of the foul odour, raising suspicions of a gas leak. A senior civic official said, “Multiple complaints referred to the same locations. The fire brigade inspected each location independently and declared these areas safe.”

A few hours after the smell was reported, the disaster management control room called 15 complainants who confirmed that the odour was no longer around. Civic officials also said that no fresh complaints had been received since Friday.

“We have still not been able to conclude if the smell came from a gas pipeline burst or a roaming tanker with a leak. But since both, the eastern and western suburbs, complained of the smell, we are examining all possibilities,” said the official.

Meanwhile, the Indian Institute of Meteorological Sciences-owned Air Quality Monitoring System (AQMS) re-evaluated air quality data of Thursday night and found no clues. A civic official associated with the process said, “AQMS identified 11 types of gases. The data of that night does not reveal any excessive gas in the air, so we have not been able to identify the type of gas that could have caused the smell.”