A gas leak was discovered at about 7.15 a.m. on Sunday at a factory on Sua Road near Giaspura in Punjabs Ludhiana, killing at least 11 people, including three children, and trapping many more inside. A team of medical professionals and ambulances has been called in, according to the superintendent of police. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been dispatched to carry out rescue missions, and the entire region has been blocked off.The Punjab Pollution Control Board and the local municipal council are being questioned for their failure to avoid the calamity caused by excessive levels of hydrogen sulphide discovered in the air in Ludhianas Giaspura neighbourhood. The deadly gas is thought to have come from a sewer, where it combined with methane and other gases, killing 11 people. Giaspura is a heavily inhabited area with industrial and residential structures and a significant migrant population.Is hydrogen sulphide deadlyAt low concentrations, hydrogen sulphide can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. It can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, coughing, and trouble breathing at moderate amounts. At higher concentrations, however, it can cause serious consequences such as shock, convulsions, coma, and even death.How did the toxic gas leakAccording to a senior PPCB (Punjab Pollution Control Board) officer, various reasons could have caused the elevated amounts of Hydrogen Sulphide. The gas generation might have persisted due to insufficient sewerage system cleaning, and the system had no means to expel the gases. According to Amarjit Singh Bains, the Additional Deputy Commissioner, a damaged sewer with an intense smell was noticed in the vicinity. He believes someone dumped a chemical into the sewage line at that point.Based on the FIR, unidentified persons put industrial trash into the sewer system, causing a chemical reaction and the formation of hazardous gas, which got out from a broken manhole, damaging adjacent houses and businesses. Jaspal Singh Giaspura, the Ward Councillor who witnessed the occurrence, emphasised the importance of investigating industrial waste flow into the drainage system. Giaspura sent letters to the former Chief Minister, PPCB officials, and the municipal corporation multiple times, but no action was taken against companies that dump pollutants straight into the sewer. He added that on weekends, industries typically release untreated water into residential sewer lines.According to Sandeep Bahl, chief engineer of PPCBs Ludhiana unit, an investigation into the entire occurrence has been launched, and the region has been completely sealed for examination. He emphasised the importance of considering all factors before forming judgements. The closest factory to the event site is a bicycle chain production unit, which is now closed.Officials gathered samples from four separate manholes in the region, which will be evaluated independently by PPCB, municipal corporation, and National Disaster Response Force teams to determine the presence of toxins. Surabhi Malik, Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana, began a process to disinfect the drainage systems, and a one-kilometre radius has been examined. The area will be blocked off for a minimum of 24 hours as a safety measure, and more sensors are being brought in to monitor the quality of air. Jaskirat Singh, an engineer and a member of a public action committee working to clean the polluted Buddha Nullah, said that it needs to be checked whether the existing drainage channels were sufficient to handle the load of that region. To avoid such deadly accidents, more systematic precautions should be taken by the government.
