Did industrial dump cause build up of deadly sewer gas in Ludhiana?

An NDRF team at the site of the gas leak incident in the Giaspura locality of Ludhiana, in Punjab, on Sunday. Pic/PTI

A section of the Giaspura locality in Punjab's Ludhiana underwent a night-long decontamination process after 11 people died from allegedly inhaling toxic gas and the area remained cordoned off on Monday, the district authorities said.

Teams of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PCB) checked what led to the build-up of Hydrogen sulphide in the sewer that might have led to the tragedy, the officials said, adding that the poisonous gas is no longer being detected in the air. A magisterial inquiry has already been ordered into the incident.

Giaspura is a thickly populated area with a migrant population. Several industrial and residential buildings are located there. All the victims belonged to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Surabhi Malik on Monday said the area was successfully decontaminated.

Also Read: 11 dead after gas leak in Punjab's Ludhiana: Police

Hydrogen sulphide, also called sewer gas, is poisonous and smells of rotten eggs. It can lead to fast unconsciousness and death.
The officials suspect that the gas was released after some chemical was disposed of in the sewerage in the area.

A PCB team is mapping industries in the area to check the inlet and outlet of their water, Malik said.

The authorities are also checking CCTV camera footage to see if anybody had disposed of any chemicals in the sewer. The police have registered an FIR under IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against unidentified persons.

11
No. of people killed following the toxic gas leak

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