Patel Pesticides (India) Pvt Ltd, which has proposed to set up a pesticide manufacturing unit at Nandesari in Gujarat’s Vadodara district, has provided additional information to the Environment and Forests Ministry’s requesting clearance to its unit.
The company said it will manufacture 100 MTPM of O-4-Bromo-2-Chlorophenyl O-Ethyl S-Propyl Phosphorrthioate (PROFENOFOS) and in the process by-products will be 30 per cent hydrogen bromide (72.33 MTPM) and Tri Methyl Ammonium Bromide (TMABr) (45 MTPM).
The ministry had twice sought some additional information on risk assessment for the plant for chlorine and bromine.
Though the company at the first instance said that \"Quantitative risk assessment is a means of making a systematic analysis of the risks from hazardous activities, and forming a rational evaluation of their significance, in order to provide input to a decision-making process,\" the ministry again asked for more data on the issue.
The company said that the risk assessed is found in an acceptable category.
\"The bromine risk estimated is based on 1 KL quantity as worst case scenario. In actual, it is being consumed during its generation. About 30 per cent quantity is liable to present and hence the probability and severity of worst case scenario will be well below than shown,\" it said.
The proposed unit is expected to come up at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore. The total plot area is 2,531 sq m of which 850 sq m has been identified for greenbelt development.
The company concluded that:
1. The inventory of the hazardous chemicals would be minimised to the possible extent and just in time philosophy practiced.
2. Online environmental monitoring, warning and controlling would be arranged for hazardous facilities.
3. All technological and administrative efforts would be made continually reduce the risk categories of the hazardous facilities.
4. Disaster management plant would be periodically rehearsed and updated as necessary.
5. Employee participation would be made in process safety.
6. Permit to work system would be followed.
7. Air line network would be provided in the factory.
8. Sprinkler would be provided to restrict vapour dispersion.
The unit is located in the GIDC Industrial Estate in Nandesari which has all environmental infrastructures like common incinerator and common effluent treatment plant.
