Sonepat, April 18
Lalit Siwach, Deputy Commissioner (DC), Sonepat, on Monday ordered an enquiry into the fire incident in a chemical factory in the Kundli area and to register a case against the unit owner.
The Deputy Commissioner also formed a special investigation team (SIT) to enquire into the matter under the chairmanship of the SDM, Sonepat. The Regional Officer of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), Additional Divisional Fire Officer (ADFO), Additional Labour Commissioner, Manager, HSIIDC, and Fire Brigade Officer would be the members of the SIT.
Audit of industries soon
If any lapse is found in the inquiry report of the committee, appropriate action will be initiated against the factory owner. Fire audit of industries in the district will be conducted soon as the people’s safety is our priority. Lalit Siwach, Deputy Commissioner, Sonepat
Siwach said, “The SIT has been directed to submit their report at the earliest. If any lapse is found in the inquiry report of the committee appropriate action will be initiated against the factory owner and case registered accordingly.”
“Fire audit of industries in the district will be conducted soon as the people’s safety is on priority,” the DC asserted.
Notably, a major fire broke out in Agson Private Limited, a chemical factory, in the Kundli area on Sunday evening. DC Siwach, along with officials, on Monday visited the factory, which was converted into debris after the fire incident.
A big stock of chemicals in drums stored at the factory, which caught fire, said sources. Drums were blasting like explosives, the sources added. The flames were so high and they had become a danger for the adjoining factories too, the sources said. DC Siwach said the situation was uncontrolled on Sunday evening as the flames were high. It took around 10 hours to douse the flames, the DC added. The flames were controlled strategically so that these did not spread to adjoining factories, the DC maintained.
Around 20 fire tenders from Sonepat, Gohana, Gannaur, Rohtak, Bahadurgarh, Panipat and Narela of Delhi were pressed into service to douse the flames, Sewach asserted.
Keeping the gas supply pipe of GAIL was also a big challenge during the rescue operation, the DC said. The supply of the gas was stopped immediately by the ADC and SDM, who reached the spot, the DC added.
DC said the role of factory owners, officials and employees was unsatisfactory as they were not even able to provide the exact information about the chemical stock in the factory.
Twenty five people were on the factory premises, who were evacuated, after the fire broke out, the DC added. The DC also directed Abhishek Gupta, production manager of the factory, to call the owner to support the enquiry. As per the record available, the factory was also sealed by the Commission of Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the NCR on the basis of reports of a flying squad, which raided the unit on December 5, 2021. However, the CAQM had revoked the closure order of the factory on the direction of the Delhi High Court.
Blaze at two factories
A major fire broke out in a tape-manufacturing factory on Kutubgarh road near Ochandi border in Kharkhoda area on Monday. The flames were so high that those also engulfed the adjoining paint manufacturing factory. As many as 11 fire fighters were pressed into service to douse the flames. It took around seven hours to control the flames. The reason behind the fire is yet to be ascertained.
