Activists demand strict compliance of safety norms in industries

Marking 32 years of Bhopal gas tragedy, activists on Friday demanded that the state pollution control boards and other regulatory bodies should ensure strict compliance of safety norms in the industries, as the accidents due to negligence were on the rise.

Cases of gas leaks from cold storages, boiler blasts, hazardous effluents being discharged in community water resources without treatment, gutter cleaning mishaps etc., have resulted in loss of life and property but the official agencies have not shown a sense of urgency in dealing with the problems, speakers observed.

The observations were made at a programme held at the Central Hindi Institute here to mark the anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant on December 2-3, 1984.

Speakers said in Agra too, hazardous chemicals from tanneries and petha-making units flow into the Yamuna river while fires in shoe manufacturing units pose a major threat to environment and human survival.

Chandra Kant Tripathi, Registrar of the Central Hindi Institute, said: "Our attitude towards maintaining safety norms is lax, at times callous. This mindset should change."

An NGO functionary, Vikas Sharma said training in safety and precautions must begin from schools.

Activist Sunita Diwakar said the way industries were being run, "one can only be grateful to God that tragedies like the one in Bhopal are not repeated. Our level of preparedness for disaster management is tardy and faulty".

In a resolution, activists also urged the government organisations to monitor and enforce industrial safety norms to ensure life or property was not lost as a result of human negligence.

--IANS

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