Nagpur, March 2 A day after a powerful explosion at a detonator manufacturing unit in Nagpur district killed 19 workers, a senior Maharashtra minister on Monday said that the private company operating the facility was "negligent" as it failed to follow safety measures.
Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule insisted that, in addition to the company, SBL Energy Ltd, accountability should also be fixed on officials of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH), and the labour commissionerate.
Speaking separately, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called for 100% automation of certain protocols and processes in the manufacture of explosives and said that the managing director of SBL Energy was among nearly a dozen people who had been arrested in connection with the blast.
At least 19 workers died and 23 others were injured in the blast at the detonator assembly unit of SBL Energy, a manufacturer of mining and industrial explosives, at Raulgaon in Katol tehsil of Nagpur district on Sunday morning. Eighteen of the workers died on Sunday and one succumbed on Monday.
PESO, DISH, and the labour commissionerate have failed to ensure safety practices in explosive manufacturing units in the region, and their accountability should be fixed, Bawankule told reporters in Nagpur.
Of the injured, 13 were in critical condition, the Nagpur district guardian minister stated.
He informed that the company will pay a compensation of Rs 75 lakh to the families of each of the deceased and Rs 25 lakh to every injured person. In addition, the state government will provide Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased, while the Centre will give Rs 2 lakh.
Therefore, the families of the deceased will receive a total compensation of Rs 82 lakh each, Bawankule said, adding that a rehabilitation package will be drawn up for those who suffered physical disabilities in the tragedy.
He held a meeting with state minister Ashish Jaiswal, Ramtek MP Shyamkumar Barwe, Katol MLA Sharad Singh Thakur, the divisional commissioner, district collector, superintendent of police, and officials of PESO and DISH in connection with the blast.
Police have registered a case against 21 directors and shareholders of SBL Energy under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, officials said.
Bawankule said the preliminary report (by safety agencies) has indicated "negligence" on the part of the explosives company and highlighted that safety measures were not properly followed at the unit.
A detailed report is expected in a month, the revenue minister added.
He said that it was decided in the meeting that, besides the company, PESO, DISH officials and the labour commissionerate will be held accountable.
They have not followed inspection duties and implemented safety measures properly in the last couple of years. Hence, the divisional commissioner, Nagpur collector and SP will fix responsibility and, if needed, cases will be registered against officials of the safety agencies, Bawankule maintained.
Speaking to reporters after visiting some of the injured persons admitted to a private hospital in Nagpur, Chief Minister Fadnavis said that an FIR has been registered against 21 people in connection with the blast and 11 of them, including the managing director of SBL Energy, have been arrested.
He said that it has been observed that even the slightest human error can trigger accidents and advocated for full automation of certain operations at explosives manufacturing facilities to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The state government will study this technological aspect and prepare a detailed report which will be sent to the Centre for consideration, the CM maintained.
Fadnavis noted that rules regulating such sensitive establishments date back to 2008, while technology has undergone a significant change since then. Hence, there is a need to re-evaluate the protocols governing these units.
Fadnavis maintained that his government will conduct a study on whether certain protocols and processes in the manufacture of explosives could be made 100% automated.
"We will approach the central government with the findings of the study and its suggestions. It is essential to consider full automation of some processes, as explosives are highly flammable, and even a minor human error can cause an accident and endanger lives," he stated.
Meanwhile, the bodies of 12 of the 19 workers who were killed in the blast were handed over to their families for last rites after completing DNA matching, an official said.
The badly charred bodies of 18 of these workers were kept for DNA analysis and identification at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Nagpur.
The senior official told
