[Answered] Industrial disaster is an emerging disaster. Discuss the causes of this disaster. Mention the features of two such major industrial disaster in the last two decades in India. Describe the policies and frameworks in India that aim at tackling industrial disaster.

Introduction

Economic Survey 2025–26 flags rising industrial risks amid rapid manufacturing expansion; with hazardous chemical use increasing, India faces an emerging disaster profile where safety gaps, as noted by NITI Aayog, demand urgent reforms.

Industrial Disaster as an Emerging Risk

1. Industrial disasters are no longer isolated accidents but systemic failures arising from cumulative risk (creeping risk).

1. Rapid industrialisation + ageing infrastructure.
2. Expansion of hazardous industries (chemicals, power, refineries).
3. Greater exposure of workers and nearby populations. Thus, disasters are increasingly predictable yet preventable failures.

Causes of Industrial Disasters

1. Equipment Fatigue: Many plants operate beyond safe limits with inadequate upkeep, leading to boiler explosions and gas leaks.
2. Inadequate Safety Protocols: Self-certification and weak third-party audits under ease of doing business reduce oversight during restarts or capacity changes.
3. Contract Labour Vulnerabilities: Migrants and contract workers often lack training, safety signage in native languages, and proper protective equipment.
4. Regulatory Gaps: Penalties exist but enforcement is weak; the new OSH Code 2020 does not clearly hold principal employers fully liable for contractor lapses.
5. Poor Zoning: Locating hazardous industries in close proximity to dense residential clusters. Example: Non-conforming industrial zones.
6. Inadequate Audits: A checklist-based compliance approach rather than deep-dive safety audits.

Features of Two Major Industrial Disasters (Last Two Decades)

1. Bhopal Gas Tragedy Aftermath and Lessons (Ongoing Legacy) Though the 1984 disaster predates the period, its long-term impact continues. The 2020 Visakhapatnam LG Polymers gas leak echoed Bhopal: styrene vapour leaked due to inactive safety systems post-lockdown restart, killing 11 and hospitalising hundreds. It exposed poor maintenance, inadequate emergency planning, and regulatory failure in monitoring hazardous chemical storage.
2. Sakti Boiler Explosion, Chhattisgarh (2026) A boiler explosion at a recently acquired and commissioned plant killed 20 workers. Similar to the 2020 Neyveli thermal power station blast, it occurred during unstable operating regimes (under-capacity, recent restart). Root causes included overpressure, scaling, and mismanaged water levels, highlighting weak continuous monitoring and the focus on fabrication standards over ongoing risk assessment.

Policies and Frameworks for Tackling Industrial Disasters

India has a robust but poorly implemented legal architecture:

1. Factories Act, 1948: Mandates safety officers, committees, and protocols for hazardous operations.
2. Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: Provides the umbrella framework for regulating hazardous substances post-Bhopal.
3. Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Response) Rules, 1996: Established under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, mandate a three-tier crisis management structure—Central, State, and District—to prepare for and respond to chemical disasters in India.
4. MSIHC Rules, 1989 (amended): The Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules mandate that industries prepare On-site and Off-site Emergency Plans.
5. Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991: Provides immediate relief to persons affected by accidents occurring while handling hazardous substances on a “no-fault” basis.
6. Disaster Management Act, 2005: Established the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) at the center and SDMAs/DDMAs at state and district levels to coordinate responses to man-made disasters.
7. Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020: Consolidates 13 laws, introduces inspector-cum-facilitators, and promotes decriminalisation with focus on compliance.
8. Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO): The nodal agency for regulating the safety of hazardous substances like compressed gases and explosives.
9. Mining Surveillance System (MSS) and Khanan Prahari App: Use satellite and citizen reporting for illegal mining risks.

Way Forward

1. Strengthen continuous instrumentation and real-time auditing instead of annual certification.
2. Make principal employers criminally liable for contractor safety lapses.
3. Mandate safety training and signage in workers native languages.
4. Integrate Boiler Accident Inquiry Rules 2025 with stricter penalties for unsafe restarts.
5. Promote a culture of rewarding maintenance shutdowns over penalising downtime.

Conclusion

Vision of safe development, industrial growth must embed safety culture; otherwise, as NDMA warns, disasters will remain recurring outcomes of neglected systemic risks.