Biogas plant tank ruptures at NGIL
Thrissur: The tank of a recently-installed biogas plant at Nitta Gelatin India Limited (NGIL), an ossein-producing company, at Kathikudam ruptured on Tuesday, spewing sludge into its premises and nearby areas.
Ten persons who lived in the locality, including eight children, were admitted to two hospitals after they complained of breathlessness, uneasiness and vomitting. Their condition is reported to be stable. Eight persons have been admitted to the Chalakudy Government Hospital. They are Nambothaparambil Unni, 67; his wife Nambothaparambil Bhavani, 57; Soorya, 10; Arya, 6; Aswin 15; Adra, 10; Dheeraj, 13; and the six-month old son of Nambothaparambil Prabhakaran. Five-year old Niranjana and three-year old Neeraja Gopi were given treatment at a private hospital.
The district administration ordered te NGIL maufacturing facility at Koratty to stop production till pollution caused by the rupture was rectified. A team of officials, led by the Deputy Collector and Revanue Divisional Officer, examined te plant and ordered immediate measures to clean up the area. "The company has been directed not to load fresh raw materials into the manufacturing facility. It can, however, complete the production of the €semi-processed material. The district administration will supply drinking water if water bodies in the locality are contaminated. The company would be asked to reimburse the expenses involved," said R.D.O. Anil Kumar. He stated that full-fledged operation of the company would be allowed only after the Kerala Pollution Control Board granted clearance.
The NGIL Action Council alleged that a pungent smell hung in the air after the tank ruptured.
"The wall on the eastern side of the Rs.35-lakh biogas plant collapsed, causing overflow from its tank to enter two raw effluent tanks kept nearby. The sludge then flowed into nearby areas.Rain worsened the situation, " said D.Ravindranath, executive director of NGIL. The NGIL claimed that the sludge contained phosphorus€, nitrogen and calcium. "The sludge generation in the primary clarifier is estimated to be 300 cubic metres a day with a consistency of two percent of solid content. The carbon to nitrogen ratio is nearly13. The biogas plant uses the anaerobic process. In the absence of oxygen, the sludge is decomposed into methane and carbon dioxide. The spent liquor is filtered and the sludge is used as manure," said B.Shaji Mohan, executive director, NGIL.
The Nitta Gelatin India Action Council has been agitating for long against alleged disposal of untreated effluents from NGIL into the Chalakudy river.
