Blast, fire in Maharashtra chemical plant
Palghar : A powerful blast followed by a massive fire ripped through a private chemical manufacturing company in the Tarapur MIDC area here late on Thursday night.
According to Palghar Control police official Pramod Pawar, the blast occurred around 11.15 p.m. in the chemical company's plant here. There are no immediate reports of casualties in the incident as firefighting efforts were taken up.
"The blast, cause of which is not yet clear was so deafening that it was heard in a radius of 10 km, and houses and buildings were shaken," Pawar said.
The blast, prima facie is suspected to have occurred in a boiler room and efforts were on to douse the fire in the factory precincts.
Local eyewitnesses said that the explosion, "sounding like a huge bomb" happened when many were preparing to retire for the night.
However, scared and shaken by the explosion, many feared it was an earthquake and hundreds rushed out on to the streets and sat there.
Further details are awaited and senior civil and police officials besides disaster management teams have rushed to the spot.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Farmers in Chincholi demand better MSP, accuse sugar factory owners of not fulfilling assurance
Kalaburagi: Members of the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) and the Taluk Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti protested outside the Siddasiri Ethanol Power Unit in Chincholi, demanding appropriate minimum support price (MSP) to sugarcane farmers in Chincholi.
Pointing out that it was decided at the meeting chaired by District In-charge Minister Priyank Kharge on November 15 to provide farmers an MSP of Rs 2,950 per tonne of sugarcane with an additional Rs 50 as support price from sugar factory owners, the protesting farmers also demanded that the decision be implemented.
“The Siddasiri sugar factory owner has violated the agreement by paying each farmer only Rs 2,550,” the farmers have alleged.
President of the KPRS Kalaburagi District Unit Sharanabasappa Mamashetti said, “When he opened the factory, legislator Basanagouda Patil Yatnal had assured that the factory would pay farmers in Kalaburagi an additional Rs 100, but has failed to live up to the word.”
The protesting farmers have demanded that the authorities concerned give priority to sugarcane farmers of Chincholi and Kalagi taluks to support the sugarcane crop. “Also, the factories should employ local youngsters and due measures should be taken to ensure the safety of the drivers of sugarcane transport vehicles,” they said.
They also handed their memorandum to Tahsildar Subbanna Jamakhandi and Power Ethanol Unit General Manager Dayananda Banagara.
The Tahsildar has assured that a meeting with the sugar factory owners would be held to discuss the issues raised by the farmers.
