Vetlapalem explosion reveals grave regulatory breaches
Rajamahendravaram: Labor Minister Vasamsetty Subhash described the firecracker unit explosion in Vetlapalem as an extremely unfortunate incident that has deeply saddened the state. Speaking to the media on Sunday after visiting victims at the Kakinada Government General Hospital, the Minister said grave violations by the management of the unit. He said that while the facility had permission for only eight workers, the owner had selfishly employed 30 people to meet high demand for an upcoming local festival. The Minister stated that the owner’s greed for profit led to the employment of unskilled laborers, mostly from SC and BC communities, in hazardous conditions. He added that the intensity of the blast, which was heard over kilometers away, underscores the massive quantity of illegal stock maintained at the site.
Recalling a previous tragedy in Rayavaram where 10 lives were lost, the Minister said that the government had already tightened regulations for firecracker units. Current safety mandates include mandatory inspections every three months by a committee comprising the Tahsildar, SI, Fire and Labor officials. Units must obtain LE-3 clearance from the Labor Department, and a minimum distance of 45 meters must be maintained between manufacturing and storage points. Furthermore, raw material storage is strictly capped at 15 kg, and owners must provide unnamed insurance for all workers. Despite these rules, the Minister noted that although many of the 488 units statewide have lobbied for relaxed norms, the government has firmly rejected those requests.
A compensation of 20 lakh has been announced for the families of the deceased, and the state is ensuring the best possible medical treatment for the injured. The Chief Minister has also ordered the seizure of the management’s properties to further compensate the victims. To prevent such tragedies in the future, the state government will send a special team to Sivakasi to study their safetyprotocols and implement the best practices here.
