Mangaluru: The District Disaster Management Committee meeting on Thursday, discussed the issue  of precautionary measures against possible leakage from chlorine tonners (long cylinders) installed at three water pumping stations.

The Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim was upset that despite the issue being discussed previously, in fact for two years, the concerned authorities (Read City Corporation) nothing has been done. “The seriousness of the issue has been discussed in the meeting for the last two years. What’s the action that can be taken against such an authority?”

Mr. Ibrahim asked Deputy Director of Factories and Boilers K.G. Nanjappa at the meeting of the District Disaster Management Committee. He passed the buck. “We can only issue notice. We cannot book any case against the authority,” he said.

Mr. Nanjappa said the high-lift pumping station in Thumbe stocks 3,600 kg of chlorine, while the two other pumping stations in Bendorwell and Panambur stock around 900 kg of chlorine each. Leakage of chlorine from the chlorine tonners could cause suffocation and irritation, while heavy leakage was dangerous to life, he said.

On his part, the corporation’s in-charge Commissioner Gokuldas Nayak said they had so far sent safety equipment for employees working at the Thumbe, Bendorwell and Panambur pumping stations.

In the next one week they will be writing about the measures taken to the Department of Industries and Boilers and take further action based on their feedback, Mr. Nayak said.

Village-level teams

Another issue that came up was the setting up of disaster management committees at the village level.

Additional Deputy Commissioner A. Sadashiva Prabhu asked assistant commissioners and tahsildars to distribute the draft plan regarding village-level committees to panchayats and get feedback. Mr. Nanjappa said village-level disaster management committee has been set up on a pilot basis in Google village in Raichur district.