Concerns over ammonium nitrate stock in Vizag

VISAKHAPATNAM: The explosion in Beirut on August 4 that killed at least 100 people and left thousands wounded has raised concerns about the storage of ammonium nitrate in the port city.
The chemical compound, said to be the reason behind the huge blast in the Lebanese capital, is imported to the country from Russia and the Gulf countries through the Visakhapatnam Port Trust. Over two lakh tonnes of the hazardous substance are imported every year through VPT and stored at a warehouse owned by a shipping company.

Civil Liberties Committee president T Sreerama Murthy said the area where the warehouse is located is surrounded by industries, including Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.“If any untoward incident were to happen like the explosion in Lebanon, HPCL will be the first victim. It is a major threat to the city. The collector should immediately review the safety measures being undertaken in the storage of ammonium nitrate,” Murthy said.
Former Union energy secretary and activist EAS Sarma, demanded that the government should stop the import of the hazardous chemical compound. “I have written a letter to Union home secretary AK Bhalla to immediately take steps and tighten the rules and procedures relating to the import, storage and transport of ammonium nitrate. Major imports of the substance happen through the Visakhapatnam port,” Sarma told TOI.
CPM state executive member Ch Narasinga Rao said the government should reveal the amount of ammonium nitrate currently stocked in the city and the district collector and VPT management should immediately review the status of its imports and safety measures.
When contacted, VPT deputy chairman PL Haranadh told TOI that the port doesn’t store ammonium nitrate and it clears the freight from the port premises soon after it is unloaded. “The freight is sent to the warehouse, often owned or leased by the importer,” he added.
The MD of Sravan Shipping Services Pvt Ltd (SSSPL), which is the agency that looks after the transport of the chemical compound from VPT to the warehouse, said ammonium nitrate is never stored on a long-term basis. “We only have a transit storage. The nitrate is transported to the importer from the warehouse within days or sometimes within two weeks. All safety measures are followed as per government norms at the warehouse,” SSSPL managing director G Sambasiva Rao said.
He added that the security wing of the VPT, besides the police, frequently review the safety measures at the warehouse. “Coal India is a major importer of the compound. We have nearly 19,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in our warehouse as on Thursday,” he said.