Residents of Manali woke up to a loud noise from a fertilizer manufacturing major in the area on Thursday morning. A light odour of ammonia was felt by some at the same time. The smell persisted till 8 a.m., said environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman.
In a tweet, Mr. Jayaraman said: “Explosion, Leak frm MFL; Periyar Nagar, Thiruvottiyur resident complains of light ammonia odour. A resident of Harikrishnapuram, Manali, reported a loud explosion at 6.05 a.m. at Manali Fertilisers.”
Manali resident M. Mahalingam said leaks of ammonia were common in Manali and over the years they had affected the health of the residents. A combined plan was necessary to monitor the industries in the area to prevent gas leaks. A buffer zone must be created in between industries and residential areas.
Sources in the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board said there was some pressure build up in a valve which had burst causing the noise. Since it was immediately rectified, the ammonia in the ambient air was not much.
Meanwhile, sources in the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health said the joint in the outlet meant to let out carbonate solution that results from letting carbon dioxide gas to react with liquid ammonia had burst. There was no injury or death due to this incident, which was immediately contained, the source added.
