The Gujarat Government has sent a closure order to Yashashvi Rasayan Private Limited, the company that owns the solvent factory where a blast on Wednesday has led to 10 deaths and over 65 hospitalisations.
Bharuch Collector Dr. M. D. Modhia told THE WEEK that the death toll has reached 10.
More than 65 workers, both employees and contractual, are undergoing treatment in various hospitals.
The closure notice was apparently issued to the company soon after the blast, which caused a large fire to take place on the premises.
Vipul Mittra, additional chief secretary labour and employment, directorate of industrial safety and health has issued a prohibition order to the company under section 40 (2) of the Factories Act. The unit won't be allowed to start operations until safety measures are in place, he added. An investigation has begun to look into exact reason for the blast.
Mittra said that a safety audit of all major accident hazard units will be undertaken.
While no arrests have been made so far, the company has decided to give ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the workers killed in the accident.
Disasters waiting to happen unless industries are monitored
Vadodara-based environmental group Prayavaran Suraksha Samiti fears that disasters are waiting to happen if the industries are not properly monitored, especially post reopening of the lockdown.
Rohit Prajapati of PSS told THE WEEK that there are certain rules and regulations for locking down a particular chemical unit. These industries are not like normal industries, he said, wondering if the necessary monitoring has been done in the state before lockdown and after lockdown.
The blast in the Dahej-based company may well be accountable to some error and if these chemical units are not closely monitored, disasters are waiting to happen, Prajapati said,
He also questioned as to how the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and other related departments are able to do monitoring at a time when a large number of officers and other employees have been put on COVID-19 duties.
