cold storage lines
– Photo: Amar Ujala
Expansion
There are not enough security arrangements in the cold storages of Hathras district as per the standard. Many accidents have happened here before. Like the accident happened in Chandausi in the past, there are possibilities of it happening in the cold storages here as well.
Hathras is one of the major potato producing districts. There are a total of 150 cold storages in the district. Their storage capacity is 12 lakh 63 thousand metric tonnes. A large number of people work in cold storages. Some cold storage operators store more than the capacity in order to earn more profit. In such a situation, the fear of an accident remains.
14 laborers have died in a gruesome accident in a cold storage in Sambhal’s Chandausi. So accidents have happened in the cold storages of Hathras in the past as well. In the year 2022, a fire broke out in a cold storage near Govindpur in Sadabad. The fire was brought under control after hours of effort. The fire broke out due to ammonia gas leakage in a cold storage on Mathura Road in Sadabad. The fire was brought under control after hours of effort. However, there was no loss of life in both the incidents.
These are the safety standards
- Fire fighting pipeline should be laid all around the cold storage.
- Fire extinguishers should also be there.
- Must have fitness certificate.
- Must have renewal certificate.
- Should have a certificate from the pollution control board.
- A qualified operator should be posted in the machine room who can operate the safety wall.
The cold storages are inspected from time to time. Security resources are checked. Whatever deficiencies are found, instructions are given to rectify them immediately. Whenever a new cold storage is built, it is built according to the standards. More attention will be paid to this after the Sambhal accident. – Anita Singh, District Horticulture Officer Hathras
