Investigation of leaks in chlorine cylinders reveals safety defects

HYDERABAD:

The investigation report into the September 26 spill of a chlorine bottle at the Hala Naka Water Filtration Plant in Hyderabad implicitly blames those in charge of the plant for exposing the 900-kilogram bottle to erosion by storing it in an unsafe location .

The gas leak, which spread to the neighboring residential areas of Khursheed Town and Jatoi Goth, affected 22 children and seven adults, all of whom were rushed to Liaquat University Hospital as an emergency.

“The unattended cylinder was placed outside [in the open] for many years and for this reason [reason] “Its fuses and one of its valves were severely damaged due to the weather conditions,” said the report signed by two senior engineers and a senior sub-engineer of the Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation (HWSC). On the day of the incident, a Team Rescue 1122 stopped the leak by cooling the cylinder using water pressure.

The cylinder was later thrown into a pond of water. According to the report, the incident occurred on September 26 at around 12 noon. Those responsible for the power plant were blamed for leaving the high-rise buildings in the dark even after the leak. “…it happened from a bottle that was placed outside the chlorine bottle room.”

The report goes on to say that the exposed cylinder's chlorine turned to gas due to the hot weather, while corrosion had already affected the valves. The investigation team asked officials to explain why the bottle was kept outdoors, but staff tried to justify their negligence by pointing out that the chlorination plant had not been functional for many years, making the bottles unnecessary . The chlorination plants at other plants in the group are also out of operation and the city is supplied with water full of bacteria.

In its findings, the report highlighted that the unavailability of “technical personnel” at the plant who are familiar with the operation of the chlorination equipment and handling of the cylinders was also one of the reasons. Inspection of ammonia cylinders is also not carried out and gas masks are also not provided at the factory. The chlorine bottles should be placed in a cool and shady place away from direct sunlight, while the liquid chlorine contained in the bottles should be used within 12 months from the date of filling. Hydraulic tests, replacement of valves and fuses, and stability testing should also be carried out separately by the explosives department.

The report recommended recruitment of technical staff in the filtration plants for vacancies as per the HDA Service Regulations, 1988. Personnel should be trained in handling containers filled with hazardous gases.