Hazards all around

It is not immediately known what exactly caused the Indian Oil depot fire in Jaipur which has been raging unabated since Thursday evening. Petroleum minister Murli Deora has announced an inquiry committee to look into the causes of the accident and an examination of the safety norms is certainly a necessary response.

The immediate fears of a possible sabotage — a legitimate concern in these troubled times — seems to have been allayed. There is a mention of a possible earthquake and a pipe leak but only thorough investigation will tell us what exactly happened and why.

The depot with its huge storage capacity of inflammable petroleum products feeds all other depots in Rajasthan. It is situated in an industrial area of the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation and the fire that broke out has destroyed property all round. The people living in the hutments around were able to flee.

It is now clear that the only way the fire will come under control is for the petrol and kerosene to burn out. Only then will fire tenders be able to douse it completely. The know how to put it out is not available. Lives have been lost and any blame game or hasty conclusions can wait; the key task is to ensure damage is minimised.

But we need to ask ourselves,  does India have sufficient safeguards to ensure complete safety — from natural disasters, accidents even hostile attacks — of installations such as petroleum storage tanks, LPG depots and such like?

Urban areas also need attention. Even a cursory look shows that petroleum tanks and refineries are often in the midst of residential areas or within city limits. A good example is Mumbai, where slums and residential complexes exist cheek by jowl with a vast bank of petroleum tanks which feed the city’s petrol pumps. In addition, it is a common sight to see warehouses with LPG cylinders piled up next to a tower block.

The companies and agents may argue that when they set up those facilities the areas were fairly remote; an expanding city grew around them. Hence it is not their fault. This may well be true but we have to deal with present day reality and address potential risks.

This requires sophisticated urban planning which factors fire and other hazards. Apart from zoning laws, proper maintenance and security systems have to be put in place and implemented. The city’s administrators, politicians as much as bureaucrats have to take into account that dense urban habitations have crystallised around the industrial centres.

The trend will only increase and with it, the risks. The Jaipur fire is a shocking reminder, a wake up call to governments, especially at local levels, to move fast and create capabilities that can prevent and fight such conflagrations.