Case lodged against Tata Steel MD for explosion in plant

JAMSHEDPUR: A case was lodged against Tata Steel Managing Director T V Narendran under provisions of Environment (Protection) Act 1986 in a local court here today for an explosion in the LD gas holder at the company's plant on November 14.

The Chief Inspector of Factories, Jharkhand, Awadesh Kumar Singh filed the case in the chief judicial magistrate's court following unsatisfactory reply to a show-cause notice served by him on the company's management a week after the incident.

Singh told newsmen that the case was lodged under sections 7(1) and 10 of Manufacture Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989 notified under the Act.

As per Section 7(1) of the Manufacture Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rule, Singh said it was mandatory to seek approval from the department concerned for setting up a gas holder, isolated gas storage of hazardous gas or industrial activities, but the formalities were not met, which was in violation of the Act.

Under provision 10, it was a mandatory for the company to submit a detailed safety report prior to storage of gas in the gas holder, but the company did not furnish any report, he said.

Meanwhile, a three-member probe constituted by the Labour Department was investigating the reasons behind the explosion which resulted in the death of an employee and injury to ten others.