Perils of air pollution
The alarming level of pollution in national capital Delhi is a classic example of how the capitalistic growth has landed us in a miserable space. People there are struggling to be able to breathe clean air. They are scared to emerge from their houses owing to rising level of pollution. Schools and colleges are often declared holidays on days when the pollution level crosses beyond tolerable limit. Roads are empty. There are restrictions on vehicular movement. Yet, nothing seems to improve the condition there. Air pollution is a looming threat in other cosmopolitan cities in the country.
The Delhi High Court has ordered the government to restrict movement of ten year old diesel vehicles and fifteen year old petrol vehicles. This order may soon be replicated in other cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and others. The situation of Delhi has worsened so much that oxygen units have been set up by the roads to supply clean air to people. People who go to work and children who go to school are forced to carry oxygen themselves. Freezing gusty winds coupled with polluted air, have made matters worse.
The reason for this miserable state of Delhi is known to everyone by now. Uncontrolled, unplanned and unbridled growth have left Delhi in shambles. Concrete jungle, blatant violation of safety norms, uncontrolled use of air conditioners and generators have landed Delhi in this wretched state. Though the government has initiated some steps to control pollution in Delhi, it has not been totally successful sine checking industries and burning of waste continues unabated. If things continue this way, our major cities would be reeling under the effects of air pollution. Every week, our major cities register over 4000-5000 new vehicles. We are not equipped with roads for them to ply on. We do not have roads that can accommodate them. The government does not have the political will power to ban new vehicles since the might of corporate companies and their bond with the government will silence every voice of concern.
Hence the whole situation is very dangerous. In Karnataka, Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, Mysore, Hassan, Kalaburgi and other cities face the threat of air pollution leading to many disorders. The civic amenities such as drainage and waste management are not up to the mark. This apart, real estate and land mafia have not left green belt in every layout for breathing green space. Trees are cut during road widening works. Lay outs are coming up on dried lake bunds. Local governance has failed to maintain gardens. People can indiscriminately have borewells. Solar is not installed in most houses. No one is interested in harvesting rain water. Hence situation is going downhill everyday. Other cities will soon walk this path. It has to be our prime concern that we save lakes, wells and rivers along with green cover, forest areas and growing trees for our future generation,.
Government has to make up its mind to ensure air pollution is reduced in the coming days. But environmental concerns are not among the priority of those in power now. They are busy renaming places. The current flawed governance model is responsible for skewed development model followed by corporates. The BJP government is handing over rare forest cover into the hands corporates and is dividing people on faith to win elections. Hence the Yogi government in UP, Haryana and Gujarat ruled by the BJP are busy renaming places. The political parties need to take responsibility and ensure air pollution and other forms are among the manifesto of political parties. Vehicular movement has to be checked and public transport system has to be strengthened. Government has to initiate these significant steps. Of not, we would be forced to buy clean air the way we are buying water through corporate companies. If this has to be avoided, the state government has to get to the act now to check all sorts of pollution.
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Virudhunagar firecracker unit blast: Toll climbs to 25, Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia announced
Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): With most bodies charred beyond recognition, identification remains difficult, police said on Monday, as the toll in the massive explosion at a fireworks unit near Kattanarpatti here rose to 25.
The Virudhunagar district administration has announced Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia to the kin of deceased.
The accident is one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the region in recent years.
"Bodies were so badly charred that we were able to identify mostly with jewellery that the victims were wearing," a police official told PTI.
He said that the families have not yet claimed the bodies due to the uncertainly in the identities.
The factory owner is absconding, he added.
The accident occurred at the Vanaja firecracker unit, owned by one Muthumanickam, which functions under the Vachakarapatti police station limits.
The unit is reportedly licensed by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), Nagpur.
Post-mortem reports have established that the 25 victims, include 22 women and three men, the police official added.
Eight workers, mostly women, are critically injured with 60 per cent burn injuries. Twelve others, including eight policemen, were injured in a second blast on Sunday evening while rescue operations were underway.
Rescue operations were severely hampered for hours, as unexploded materials continued to detonate.
A second blast at 7.20 pm, triggered as an earthmover was clearing debris, caused chaos and injured several responders, including a revenue official.
Meanwhile, sources said about 1,000 people, including the families of the victims and residents of nearby villages, are threatening a road roko, demanding the arrest of the owner of the factory.
Local eyewitnesses, including Ranganathan from the nearby Seervaikarampatti village, described hearing a massive blast that sent "thick black smoke" into the sky.
"Nothing was recognisable. We saw bodies being loaded four at a time into vehicles," he told PTI Videos.
Many of the deceased were from Seervaikarampatti village, with residents claiming that at least 20 victims belonged to their village.
Among those killed was 46-year-old Indrani, a veteran worker of 25 years.
"My mother was the sole breadwinner. My father is disabled and stays home. I have an MSc degree, but I’m working at a petrol bunk to help out, and we haven't even paid my brother's school fees yet," said Madhubala, Indrani’s daughter, while pleading for government employment assistance.
Virudhunagar Collector N O Sukhaputra confirmed that the unit was operating without permission on a rest day.
Preliminary findings suggest the blast originated in a chemical mixing shed, where nearly 40 workers were busy making crackers, a violation of safety norms that typically limit occupancy to four workers per shed.
"Had these workers followed primary safety norms, the casualties could have been minimal," a senior official stated.
Chief Minister M K Stalin has ordered a high-level probe and directed ministers to oversee relief efforts.
The tragedy follows a similar accident in Vembakottai just days earlier, which claimed four lives, intensifying calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations in the district’s firecracker hub.
The explosion occurred at approximately 3.15 pm on Sunday. Although the fireworks industry is officially shut on Sundays, over 100 workers were reportedly engaged in production.
Later in the day, Sukhaputra said Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia each has been finalised for the families of 25 persons killed in the explosion.
Speaking to PTI Videos, he said the ex gratia cheques are ready for immediate distribution to the legal heirs.
"Out of 25 deaths, we have finished conducting post-mortems on 22 bodies. Already we have cheques (that) are ready,” Sukhaputra said.
The announcement followed intense demands from grieving relatives for financial security and government employment.
