Only 51 per cent pharma units at JNPC follow safety norms

Visakhapatnam: Not surprisingly, only 51 per cent of pharmaceutical units at Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City  follow safety and maintenance norms. A string of accidents was witnessed at the pharma units located in JNPC in the last couple of years. The 2,400-acre JNPC developed about a decade ago houses 92 pharmaceutical units employing 22,000 personnel. The value of pharma exports from JNPC has been increasing in the past few years.

Joint chief inspector of factories D. Chandrasekhara Varma said only 47 of the 92 units in JNPC were following the safety and maintenance norms.  “We have issued instructions to the remaining 45 units to implement safety norms to prevent industrial accidents. We will announce the safety audit and as per the instructions of district collector we will act against units which have failed to follow the norms,” he added.

Over 30 industrial accidents have claimed lives of 25 people and 63 people were injured in JNPC so far. “Most of the units operate with minimum staff and flout the safety and maintenance norms. The material used is sub-standard,” said Mr Narasinga Rao of CITU.