PM Modi assures all help to Andhra Pradesh CM over Visakhapatnam gas leak
7 May, 2020 | newsx bureau
PM Modi holds a high-level meeting with ministers on Vizag gas leak tragedy. In the meeting, he assures all help and support to Andhra Pradesh CM.
Vizag Gas leak: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to take stock of the steps being taken in response to the gas leak incident in Vishakhapatnam.
The Prime Minister discussed at length the measures being taken for the safety of the affected people as well as for securing the site affected by the disaster, read a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs issued on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Ministers of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai and G Kishan Reddy, besides other senior officers.
#VizagGasLeak: Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a meeting of the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority), in wake of the situation in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh). Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also present. pic.twitter.com/riFiBKnFMY
— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2020
On receiving the first information about the incident in the morning today, Prime Minister Modi and Shah talked to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and assured all required aid and assistance from the Centre to tackle the situation.
They are monitoring the situation closely and continuously, the statement added.
Immediately after the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary took a detailed review meeting along with the Secretaries of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Information and Broadcasting.
500 kg of Para-tertiary butyl catechol (PTBC) chemical will be airlifted from Daman by Andhra Pradesh govt for neutralizing the gas leakage in Visakhapatnam plant: Ashwani Kumar, Secretary to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani #VizagGasLeak pic.twitter.com/ZUfBAlu5Rs
— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2020
Members of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Director General (DG), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF); Director-General of Health Services (DGHS) and Director AIIMS, and other medical experts, to chart out specific steps to support the management of the situation on the ground. Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister was also present in the meeting.
Spoke to officials of MHA and NDMA regarding the situation in Visakhapatnam, which is being monitored closely.
I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being in Visakhapatnam.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 7, 2020
It was decided that a team from CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) unit of NDRF from Pune, along with an expert team of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, would visit Vishakhapatnam to support the state government in the management of the crisis on the ground, and also to take measures for resolving the short term as also long term medical impact of the leak.
The incident of styrene gas leakage occurred in a chemical plant in the early hours on Thursday at 3 am in RR Venkatapuram village, Gopalapatnam Mandal in Visakhapatnam district. It affected the surrounding villages, namely, Narava, BC Colony, Bapuji Nagar, Kampalapalem, and Krishna Nagar.
Earlier today, PM @narendramodi chaired a meeting of the NDMA to review the situation in Visakhapatnam. pic.twitter.com/JWvhzcZEoz
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 7, 2020
Styrene gas, which is toxic in nature, may cause irritation to the skin, eyes and causes respiratory problems and other medical conditions. The NDRF team with CBRN personnel at Vishakhapatnam was deployed immediately to support the state government and local administration.
PM @narendramodi has spoken to Andhra Pradesh CM Shri @ysjagan regarding the situation in Visakhapatnam. He assured all help and support.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 7, 2020
The NDRF team carried out an immediate evacuation of communities living in the immediate vicinity of the site. The specialised CBRN unit of NDRF from Pune and NEERI expert team from Nagpur has left for Vishakhapatnam. Besides, DGHS will provide specialised medical advice to medical practitioners on the ground, the statement said.
In the wake of the situation in Visakhapatnam, PM @narendramodi has called for a meeting of the NDMA at 11 AM.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 7, 2020