NTPC blast shows how health safety, environment standards are lacking

So far, the explosion at NTPC's Unchahar plant has claimed over 29 lives

The explosion in a boiler at NTPC’s Unchahar plant in Rae Bareli district has so far claimed more than 29 lives. 

For a country like India, which has industrial disasters like the Bhopal gas leak, this incident yet again shows how health safety and environment standards are lacking. Incidents like the chlorine gas leak at Jamshedpur (2008), a toluene fire at a Ranbaxy factory in Mohali (2003) and a chlorine gas leak in Vadodara (2002) are some of the black spots in India’s industrial history. 

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 831 were killed during 2014-15 in industrial explosions alone.

INDUSTRIAL BLACK SPOTS

June 27, 2014: A fire after a blast at a GAIL (India) underground gas pipeline in Nagaram, Andhra Pradesh, kills 18 and injures 40

October 29, 2009: Fire at IndianOil’s oil depot tank holding 8,000 kilolitre in Jaipur kills 12 lives and injures 200

September 23, 2009: Collapse of a 275-metre chimney being constructed at Vedanta’s Bharat Aluminium plant kills at least 45

July 27, 2005: An offshore platform of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation in Bombay High gutted, killing at least 4

December 3, 1984: A methyl isocyanate leakage from a Union Carbide India plant claims more than 2,500 lives and affected more than 100,000 

December 27, 1975: A blast at Chasnala Colliery in Dhanbad kills 372 miners 

May 28, 1965: Explosion at Dhori colliery near Dhanbad kills close to 300 miners 

December 10, 1954: One of the first major industrial disasters of Independent India; flooding at Newton Chikli Colliery in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, kills 63

April 14, 1944 (Bombay Explosion):  Fire after an explosion on a freighter carrying gold, ammonium and 1,400 tonnes of explosives kills around 800