By handing waste to contractor for disposal instead of to incineration facility, pharma co may have saved a few lakhs, but it put lives at risk
By handing waste to contractor for disposal instead of to incineration facility, pharma co may have saved a few lakhs, but it put lives at risk
The company responsible for dumping dozens of barrels of a toxic chemical in the city last week wanted to save Rs 4.3 lakh.u00a0 That isu00a0 about the amount it would have spent if it had disposed of the substance scientifically.
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Karnataka Chemsyn, a pharmaceutical company in Jigani, had dumped 72 barrels of toxic and highly inflammable chemicals behind a railway yard in Srirampuram, said the police after initial investigations into last Sunday's leak.
The police had earlier found that the company's act was made worse by people burning the chemicals when the overpowering stench led to breathing difficulties for many.
The pharmaceutical company is involved in the making of bulk drugs. It prepares a base material for drugs meant for headaches.
Police Inspector V P Upadhyaya said the pharma company from where the chemicals came was supposed to have sent the batch to Pai & Pai, a company that takes up scientific incineration of such chemicals.
Instead, the batch was given to a private contractor to be disposed of, in what looks like an effort to save money.
Action on firm
Karnataka State Pollution Control Board Chairman A S Sadashivaiah said, "Action has been taken on Karnataka Chemsyn, the pharmaceutical company involved in manufacturing bulk drugs and base material. Instead of scientifically incinerating the waste, the company gave it to a private contractor, who carelessly dumped it in an open field. It costs around Rs 40 per litre (to incinerate), which they saved by dumping it."
The factory has now been closed down and the KSPCB will conduct an inquiry and take suitable action on the company.
Environmentalist Yellappa Reddy said, "Most of the waste seems to be highly carcinogenic materials. When such substances are dumped openly without scientifically disposing them of, it becomes a serious issue. It is most dangerous, since the materials can cause cancer."u00a0
Long-term effects
Reddy added that there was also the possibility of the toxic chemicals entering water resources, which would be ground water in this case, and remaining in the air as dust particles.
"The chemicals can this way enter the human body. It will get into the food chain, which is a possibility that has to be taken seriously," said Reddy.
The police have arrested a person called Jairaj, an executive of the pharma company, and seized two lorries used for transporting the 72 barrels of chemicals.
"We are on the hunt for the contractor involved in the offence. Once the contractor is arrested, we will get a fuller picture," Upadhyaya said.
'Dumping ground'
It seems Srirampuram has become a dumping yard for those involved in illegal things. Last October, aborted foetuses, suspected to be female, and bio-medical waste were dumped in gunny bags near the Rajiv Gandhi statue.
u00a0
The police had said a truck from Kundapur in coastal Karnataka had brought the foetuses and dumped them.
| The dumped substance |
|
Chemical bromide |
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