Eight persons including Fire personnel fall sick

T. Narasipur: Eight persons including three Fire and Emergency Services personnel fell sick following chlorine gas leak at the Water Filter Unit in T. Narasipur yesterday. It is alleged that negligence on the part of Town Municipal Council officials and local elected representatives had led to the incident.

T. Narasipur Fire Station Head Constable H.S. Yogesh, driver Kishore and Assistant M. Nagaraju are the ones who fell sick and have been admitted to T. Narasipur General Hospital in serious condition. Five persons residing in the surrounding of the Water Filter Unit also fell sick and have been discharged after being treated.

Following chlorine gas leak, the Mysuru-T. Narasipur Main Road was closed for traffic and vehicles were diverted via the Link Road. Also, the residents of the town stayed put in their houses out of fear.

The Water Filter Unit, which supplies drinking water to the town, is located amidst residential areas on T. Narasipur-Mysuru Road. Though small quantity of chlorine gas leakage was being noticed from a couple of days, the officials concerned or the local elected representatives had not bothered to rectify it in the early stage.

It is learnt that former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, during his tenure as the CM, had launched the works to supply drinking water 24×7 which is nearing completion and the officials have completely neglected the old Water Filter Unit.

The Water Filter Unit, which is under Town Municipal Council limits and also controlled by it, was first located on the outskirts of the town. As years passed by, the town grew and many residential layouts have come up in the surroundings of the Water Filter Unit now.

Yesterday afternoon, the chlorine gas valve of the Filter Unit broke and a large quantity of chlorine gas began gushing out of the broken valve, which soon spread resulting in five persons residing nearby suffering from burning sensation in their eyes and nose.

Unable to breathe, these five persons took ill and were immediately rushed to the General Hospital and the matter was informed to the Town Municipal Council staff, who in turn informed the Fire Brigade Station.

The Fire and Emergency Services personnel, who rushed to the spot immediately, tried to plug the leakage, but fell sick after inhaling the gas. They too were rushed to the General Hospital.

As the situation was going out of control, Mysuru Fire Brigade’s Station Officers Ganganayak and G.P. Pradeep, rushed to T. Narasipur along with their staff and after taking all precautionary measures, they managed to plug the gas leakage and thus averted a major mishap from taking place.

Though the situation was brought under control, tension continued to prevail in the town.

Town Municipal Council Chief Officer Basavaraju said that an announcement using a public address system was made asking the villagers to stay indoors and added that necessary steps are being taken.

Meanwhile, MLA Ashwin Kumar, who visited T. Narasipur General Hospital last midnight, enquired the health condition of the Fire Staff from the doctors and also visited the Water Filter Unit and collected information from the officials.