54 houses, eight places of worship damaged in MRPL blast

As many as 54 houses and eight places of worship were damaged due to the impact of the blast at the Coker Hydrotreater Unit of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL) on the outskirts of Mangaluru on Wednesday.

According to the Dakshina Kannada district administration, 25 houses were damaged in Jokatte village, 19 in Kalavaru village and 10 in Bala village, all located near MRPL.

An official statement from the district administration said that of the eight places of worship damaged, five were in Jokatte village and three in Kalavaru village.

Manjunath Bhandary, MLC, said in a statement that the impact of the blast was felt within a 15-km radius of MRPL, including Bajpe.

He said a high-level technical investigation should be conducted into the incident and that MRPL should ensure such incidents do not recur by taking adequate safety measures.

The family of the deceased, Manish Karkada, should be paid adequate compensation and MRPL should bear the cost of treatment of the injured, Mr. Bhandary said.

Seeking a comprehensive investigation into the blast, Ivan D’Souza, MLC, said MRPL should take adequate precautionary measures to prevent such incidents in future.

After visiting MRPL, Y. Bharat Shetty, MLA, Mangaluru City North, said in a statement that the blast rattled not only residents of the Surathkal area but the entire city. “The blast, which caused tremors akin to an earthquake, serves as a warning signal,” he said, seeking a comprehensive investigation and compensation for the affected workers.

Damages more severe, says CPI(M)

Muneer Katipalla, secretary of the Dakshina Kannada unit of CPI(M), said in a statement that the explosion and damage at MRPL’s Phase III unit were far more severe than what had been projected by the company and the district administration. “As usual, the company is attempting to downplay the intensity of the blast. Numerous accidents and fatalities have occurred at MRPL in the past, alongside persistent violations of environmental and safety regulations,” he alleged.

“The company’s negligence and arrogant conduct, combined with the district administration’s lenient stance towards violations, are the root causes of this horrific explosion,” Mr. Katipalla alleged.

The Phase III Coke-Sulphur Unit, where the explosion occurred, was notorious for regulatory violations, he alleged. It was arguably the only major industrial unit in the country operating without the mandatory green belt. Since commencing operations in 2014, the unit had jeopardised the lives of nearby residents, he alleged. Villages such as Jokatte and Kalavaru had been reduced to “hellish conditions” due to pollution from the plant and had become hotspots for serious diseases, he claimed. He further alleged that the company had been delaying implementation of a six-point directive issued by the State government in 2016.

The district administration had consistently adopted a lenient stance towards the company instead of supporting affected villagers and had ignored complaints against the firm, Mr. Katipalla alleged.

A transparent investigation should be conducted into the blast, he said.