Column: Pouring oil onto fire

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: Exactly a week ago, Jaipur was engulfed in a smoky haze due to the massive fire which followed an explosion in the Indian Oil Sitapur depot. One of India’s worst industrial accidents in recent times, it has led to several deaths, caused displacement of thousands of people and a monetary loss of over Rs 500 crore. It is not yet known what exactly caused the fire, but it is clear that the fire-fighting mechanisms of both the IOC and the state seemed to have failed.

The fire at IOC’s (receiver of the ‘most-safe OMC award’ for 2008-09) depot took place exactly a week after the petroleum minister (who was at an Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD) function) had said that necessary steps would be taken to make OISD a statutory body for the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil industry. His assurance has now become a necessity. All attempts must be made to give the OISD statutory powers at the earliest. Ironically, the OISD, which is the most competent body to handle safety hazards in the oil sector, doesn’t have statutory powers even though it is one of the bodies that sets standard procedure and practice for safety and firefighting in the industry.

A cursory look indicates that petroleum tanks and refineries are often located within the city limits. Companies and agents argue that when they had set up those facilities, the areas were fairly remote and an expanding city grew around them, which is not their fault. This may well be true but we have to deal with the current reality and address the potential risks, which requires sophisticated urban planning. Apart from zoning laws, proper maintenance and security systems have to be put in place and implemented. The government should follow a carrot & stick approach in such cases. Mere reallocation of depots won’t be of any help. Global experience shows that fires at oil depots are primarily due to human failure where the establishment does not follow protocol, like routine equipment checks, or where someone down the line ignored signs of flaws. It doesn’t take more than a short circuit or a misplaced cigarette butt to start a fire. What matters is how good we are at combating it.