BERHAMPUR/ASKA: Tension prevailed at Aska Cooperative Sugar Industries Ltd on Monday following the death of three persons when molasses gushed into nearby staff quarters, on Sunday night.A blast in a storage tank had caused huge quantities of molasses to spill over.Alleging negligence, the residents kept the bodies in front of the houses and blocked traffic on Aska-Bhubaneswar-Nayagarh and Buguda-Balipadar routes. They were demanding compensation for the bereaved families. The deceased have been identified as Hema Raulo (55), Ipak Raulo (5) and Sandip Kumar Rao (7).The blockade that continued till Monday evening saw the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik cancel his visit to Aska. The agitators were pacified after a compensation of ` 2 lakh to each deceased was declared from the Chief Minister Relief Fund and another ` 2.5 lakh from the factory authorities. The bodies were then taken to MKCG Medical for post-mortem.Meanwhile, labour leaders alleged that the negligence in repairing the tanker resulted in the mishap. The four tanks in the liquor unit with a capacity of about 28,000 tonnes were constructed in 1971.The molasses was left stored in the tanks after the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) refused permission to run the distillery unit, about three years back.It is being alleged that the tanks had developed cracks and the workers informed the management about it. The thick spillage from the tank has spread over the factory premises affecting crushing work. Meanwhile, the administration has started cleaning the roads. It is hopeful to resume traffic on Balipadar-Buguda by Tuesday.
Comments
0 comment