Chemical warehouse: Threat to public life and property
Sunday, 10 October 2010
Khalilur Rahman
Chemical warehouses, dotted over various densely-populated city areas, continue to remain as a serious threat to public life and property. The grisly fire incident in a chemical factory at Nimtoli in the old part of the metropolis on June 3 last, the worst in recent memory, violently shook public minds at home and abroad. The fire killed 120 residents and left over 100 others injured, many of them critically. All concerned government agencies geared up to face the situation as well as prevent recurrence of such tragedy in future. Owners of storehouses containing highly inflammable chemicals concentrated in the area over the years were asked by the government to shift from there. The authorities had set a deadline for shifting of the chemical stores from Nimtoli. The deadline expired with no result. During the last four months since the Nimtoli tragedy a second deadline was set for removal of chemical godowns which expired last month, but to no effect.
Late last week a fire broke out in another chemical warehouse at South Jatrabari in the old part of the city which claimed 10 lives and left several others injured. The chemical storehouse at Jatrabari used to produce glue for shoe-making factories. The highly inflammable chemicals stored in the godown, apparently without the knowledge of the concerned authorities , generated so much heat and fumes when caught fire that the police and the fire brigade rescue workers could hardly approach the roaring inferno. The Nimtoli tragedy was once again repeated.
Last week, two mobile courts fined five godowns in the city for storing inflammable chemicals. These are located at Lalbagh, Tipu Sultan Road and Bangabandhu Avenue. The five chemical storehouses are operating without licence from the fire brigade.
Despite ban imposed by the government for storing 20 kinds of inflammable chemicals in the residential areas in the city after Nimtoli tragedy the townspeople have noticed to their surprise that the prohibition has been largely violated. According to report published in a vernacular daily on Friday, over 500 stores, factories and shops of chemicals are operating at Mitford, Siddique Bazar and Alu Bazar residential areas in old Dhaka. At Hossaine Dalan area, a good number of chemical shops and godowns have been kept closed, but not shifted. Despite drives by the taskforce constituted after Nimtoli tragedy, against chemical godowns, the situation has not improved, the report says. The report also said that alone in old Dhaka about 10,000 chemical factories, godowns and shops are operating. Of these 1,500 owners belonging to Bangladesh Chemical and Perfumery Merchants Association and Mitford Traders Association have government approval and the rest are doing business through different means.
The drives against chemical godowns began from October 3 last after the second deadline for shifting of those by their respective owners expired on September 30. Official sources said such action against storage of chemicals will continue. Under Narcotics Control Act, 1990 export and import of chemicals, trading and use of those must be carried out after obtaining licence from Narcotics Control Department. The issuance of such licence, on the other hand, is subject to fulfilment of at least 15 conditions, some of which include clearance from explosive department, environment directorate and fire brigade after submission of warehouse plan and import export licence, etc. The conditions must be fulfilled strictly before the licence is issued, says a press report.
As one can assume these chemical godowns in the thickly-populated residential areas in the city have not sprung up overnight, but grown over the years and no government in the past ever seriously thought the hazards involved in it. Therefore, the dealers of inflammable chemicals could run their trade with impunity. Nimtoli and Jatrabari incidents have taught us enough lesson and in the light of this tragic experience we should take comprehensive measures forthwith to stop recurrence of such incidents for the sake of ensuring safety to public life and property.
e-mail: khalilbdh@gmail.com
Chemical warehouses, dotted over various densely-populated city areas, continue to remain as a serious threat to public life and property. The grisly fire incident in a chemical factory at Nimtoli in the old part of the metropolis on June 3 last, the worst in recent memory, violently shook public minds at home and abroad. The fire killed 120 residents and left over 100 others injured, many of them critically. All concerned government agencies geared up to face the situation as well as prevent recurrence of such tragedy in future. Owners of storehouses containing highly inflammable chemicals concentrated in the area over the years were asked by the government to shift from there. The authorities had set a deadline for shifting of the chemical stores from Nimtoli. The deadline expired with no result. During the last four months since the Nimtoli tragedy a second deadline was set for removal of chemical godowns which expired last month, but to no effect.
Late last week a fire broke out in another chemical warehouse at South Jatrabari in the old part of the city which claimed 10 lives and left several others injured. The chemical storehouse at Jatrabari used to produce glue for shoe-making factories. The highly inflammable chemicals stored in the godown, apparently without the knowledge of the concerned authorities , generated so much heat and fumes when caught fire that the police and the fire brigade rescue workers could hardly approach the roaring inferno. The Nimtoli tragedy was once again repeated.
Last week, two mobile courts fined five godowns in the city for storing inflammable chemicals. These are located at Lalbagh, Tipu Sultan Road and Bangabandhu Avenue. The five chemical storehouses are operating without licence from the fire brigade.
Despite ban imposed by the government for storing 20 kinds of inflammable chemicals in the residential areas in the city after Nimtoli tragedy the townspeople have noticed to their surprise that the prohibition has been largely violated. According to report published in a vernacular daily on Friday, over 500 stores, factories and shops of chemicals are operating at Mitford, Siddique Bazar and Alu Bazar residential areas in old Dhaka. At Hossaine Dalan area, a good number of chemical shops and godowns have been kept closed, but not shifted. Despite drives by the taskforce constituted after Nimtoli tragedy, against chemical godowns, the situation has not improved, the report says. The report also said that alone in old Dhaka about 10,000 chemical factories, godowns and shops are operating. Of these 1,500 owners belonging to Bangladesh Chemical and Perfumery Merchants Association and Mitford Traders Association have government approval and the rest are doing business through different means.
The drives against chemical godowns began from October 3 last after the second deadline for shifting of those by their respective owners expired on September 30. Official sources said such action against storage of chemicals will continue. Under Narcotics Control Act, 1990 export and import of chemicals, trading and use of those must be carried out after obtaining licence from Narcotics Control Department. The issuance of such licence, on the other hand, is subject to fulfilment of at least 15 conditions, some of which include clearance from explosive department, environment directorate and fire brigade after submission of warehouse plan and import export licence, etc. The conditions must be fulfilled strictly before the licence is issued, says a press report.
As one can assume these chemical godowns in the thickly-populated residential areas in the city have not sprung up overnight, but grown over the years and no government in the past ever seriously thought the hazards involved in it. Therefore, the dealers of inflammable chemicals could run their trade with impunity. Nimtoli and Jatrabari incidents have taught us enough lesson and in the light of this tragic experience we should take comprehensive measures forthwith to stop recurrence of such incidents for the sake of ensuring safety to public life and property.
e-mail: khalilbdh@gmail.com