Visakhapatnam: High-power committee discusses critical issues

Visakhapatnam: The high-power committee, constituted by State government, met and participated in a row of discussions and video conferences with technical experts here on Saturday.

The committee formed to study the causes behind the gas leak at LG Polymers India Pvt Ltd, include special Chief Secretaries Neerabh Kumar Prasad and R Karikal Valaven, District Collector V Vinay Chand, Commissioner of Police R K Meena and member secretary of AP Pollution Control Board Vivek Yadav.

They held a video conference with Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, DG, Directorate General Factory Advice Service Labour and Employment, R K Elangovan, among others.

The committee had detailed discussions with the technical experts on the interim report and the issues pertaining to the cause of gas leak, design of the tanks, monitoring systems and emergency response, involving director of Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy V S R K Prasad, Andhra University former Professor K V Rao and Professor of Civil Environmental Engineering, AU S Bala Prasad.

Further, the committee members discussed the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute report and reports submitted by APPCB about the impact of the vapour leak on the air, water, soil quality and correlate with the area of affected zones.

Detail discussions were held on chemical reactions which led to the vapour leak, role of various functionaries of LG Polymers, design aspects of the tank, refrigeration system and usage of inhibitors and other chemicals.