Paradip, Feb. 25: Police have registered criminal cases against the authorities of Paradip-based Iffco fertiliser plant in connection with the February 20 incident in which 23 labourers were injured when the roof of a fertiliser storage tower caved in.

While the debris is yet to be removed, the company today resumed production of diammonium phosphate.

“Criminal cases have been registered against the fertiliser plant management under sections 287 and 337 of the Indian Penal Code. The sections relate to negligent conduct with respect to machinery and causing hurt by the act of endangering life or personal safety of others. The case was registered on the basis of an FIR lodged by one of the injured,” said Anil Mishra, inspector of Paradip police station.

The work of clearing the debris of the storage structure is moving at a snail’s pace even as plant officials have sought technical advice and assistance from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Project & Development India Limited (PDIL) for rebuilding the damaged tower.

Experts from PDIL have come here to assess the damage in the fertiliser-manufacturing unit. The PDIL personnel have inspected the existing storage system, the operational conveyer belt structures and the storage system for ammonia gas. The experts also held discussions with a high-level technical committee of the fertiliser plant and further strengthening of the safety mechanism in the plant was suggested, said Iffco officials.

M.R. Patel, the executive director of Iffco, Paradip, said: “The debris of the damaged tower is being cleared on a war-footing. However, as there is a massive amount of rubble, it will take a fortnight to clear the area completely. We have commenced the fertiliser production work from today on a limited scale and made alternative arrangement to store the produced material. Nearly 2,200 tonne of diammonium phosphate was manufactured after production resumed.”

However, trade unions continue to accuse the authorities for being negligent about worker safety measures. “The plant should have put the safety mechanism in place before carrying out production. The existing silo storage structures are not in good shape. Accidents may occur again,” said Ullash Swain, secretary of Paradip Industrial Workers’ Union.

The plant authorities refuted the charges and said that since Iffco took over the plant from a private company in November 2005, all efforts have been made to ensure foolproof safety measures and meet environment safety norms.

Air quality monitoring analysers are installed in the plant for checking of sulphuric dioxide and ammonia.

The plant authorities said that air quality analysers had also been installed in the villages located near the unit.

“The effluent treatment plant installed at the plant has also been modernised. There is regular monitoring of the gypsum pond and the height of the dyke wall of the gypsum pond and surge has been elevated in order to control seepage and ingress,” Patel said.