NTPC blast: Engineers demand safety audit of power plants

In the backdrop of the tragedy unfolding at the NTPC power plant in Unchahar, Rae Bareli district on Wednesday, power engineers demanded safety audit of all thermal power plants in the country, including Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. 

The blast at the boiler furnace of the 500 megawatt (mw) unit of the 1,500 mw NTPC plant last evening had caused several deaths on the spot, while scores of others were injured. The blast occurred owing to the purported malfunctioning in the process of burning of coal and evacuation of ash.

Speaking to Business Standard in Lucknow, All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) chairman Shailendra Dubey said a safety audit of all thermal power plants in the country was vital, since most of these units employed similar equipment and technology as the mishap-hit NTPC plant.

In the worst industrial disasters in Uttar Pradesh, 26 persons have died so far. The injured were taken to several hospitals in Rae Bareli and other neighbouring districts where many sucumbed during treatment. About 80 people are being treated in the hospitals, while a few NTPC officials have been airlifted to Delhi for treatment.

The death toll is likely to increase, since many of the injured persons have suffered over 50 per cent burns and continue to be in a critical condition.

Dubey maintained it was important to ascertain the exact reason behind the blast to avoid reoccurrence of such mishaps to protect the precious lives of engineers and workers.

Meanwhile, he has also demanded an independent inquiry in the incident to fix responsibility and acts of omission and commission.

According to sources, the 500 MW unit was commissioned in haste with utter disregard for safety norms.

Against the normal time frame of about three years, the unit was commissioned in two and half years in March 2017. Later, it also attained commercial operations in May this year, though several civil and technical aspects were still incomplete.

The unit was also facing technical glitches over the past two days preceding the blast, yet it continued to be run, which ultimately resulted in the mishap that lead to the death of several people. 

At the time of the blast, about 300 workers and some officials were near the site. The unit has since been shut.

Dubey asserted that safety factor should not be compromised at any cost in the rush to run a power plant. AIPEF would also submit a memorandum to the Union power ministry demanding strict adherence of safety measures in running power plants.

An AIPEF delegation is also visiting the mishap site to meet NTPC engineers to prepare its report on the incident.