‘PSUs have anti-tragedy systems’

Public sector enterprises have put systems in place to ensure that Bhopal like disasters do not happen again,PSUs apex body SCOPE said today.

“Bhopal is an old incident. Over the years,such accidents did not recur which shows that some efforts have gone into avoiding these accidents,” Standing Conference of Public Enterprises Chairman Arup Roy Choudhary said here at a function on “Environment Safety-Prevention and Management of Chemical Accidents.”

PSEs are cautious and have been taking effective measures to manage chemical accidents,protect environment and control pollution. Also,all PSUs have a separate department to handle it,he added.

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Corporates in India,especially PSUs,have realised that there is more to it than business,that is,environment and safety of man,material and machinery,SCOPE Director General U D Choubey said.

About 26 years after the world’s worst industrial disaster left over 15,000 people dead,a study by Srishti and Toxics Links found lead and mercury in breast milk of nursing mothers in communities near the plant.

“Union Carbide is an example of how people are still facing large damages to human life because of chemicals hazards,” Choubey said.

While stressing there was infringement by industries on the natural environment in the past few years,Choudhary called for achieving balance between economic growth and protection of natural habitat.

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“A lot of chemical waste is generated by our industries and they owe a huge responsibility towards society. They should devise systems in a responsive manner and prevent chemical waste as its treatment and neutralisation involves huge cost,” he added.

Of the total 246 CPSEs,there are about 90 companies operating in the manufacturing sector which involves greater chances of accidents happening.