BHUBANESWAR: As many as 12 persons were taken ill after leakage of chlorine gas from a water storage tank at Chandrasekharpur area here on Saturday. One among them is a technical staffer of the PHED. All of them have been hospitalised. Their condition is stable but three of them are under observation in ICU, sources said. The PHED officials immediately rushed to the spot and controlled the situation as fire- fighters reached the site. Sources said a washer of the chlorine gas cylinder broke leading to leakage of the gas which is injected to disinfect the water meant for supply. Since the storage unit is located close to slums, the leakage affected the dwellers. The PHED uses a 100-kg chlorine gas cylinder for disinfection although the standard practice is to use a 1,000-kg cylinder. “Since the water tank is atop a hillock, it is difficult to transport a 1,000 kg cylinder and we use a 100-kg unit which is moved manually,” said an official. The 100-kg cylinder lasts about 10 days. The one in use, the PHED officials claimed, had already completed about a week which is why the cylinder ran out of gas soon. Although chlorine gas is not considered fatal, prolonged exposure can lead to coughing, chest tightness, burning sensation in the nose, throat and eyes, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting. The incident occurred when the PHED officials switched off the pump after water was supplied. The incident led to tension in the area.
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