Kochi: Illegal chemical factories posing threat to people

Kochi: There are 44 unauthorised petroleum chemical factories functioning in different districts in the state, according to  the data submitted by the authorities concerned based on an RTI query. Most of illegal units operate in densely populated areas, posing a threat to the life of hundreds of people.  

As per the information provided by different panchayats, 13 illegal chemical units operate in Ernakulam, seven in Kozhikode and five in Thiruvananthapuram, said M. O Poulose of Cherthala who submitted the RTI query.

Based on the information, he filed a public interest litigation in the High Court.

"The thinner paint unit at Malappuram where a massive fire occurred recently has been functioning without any licence for several years. Such disasters can be averted if the local bodies ensure that they are operating as per the norms of Petroleum Act 1934, while issuing licence to them," he added.

As per the RTI document, the unit had no licence and was operating under the label of paint godown.

The main request in the PIL is that the state and Union governments should take stringent measures to prevent such disasters in future.

 "If the government departments do not wake up, the workers in the illegal units and residents of these areas will not be able to bear the impact of explosions and similar disasters,"he said.

Even when the number of paint manufacturing units is on the increase, the authorities are ignorant of the dangerous situation prevailing. Most of the units operate in congested areas by misleading the local residents.

"The government departments concerned are least bothered about the safety of such units and not willing to conduct any safety inspection," alleged Poulose.