Telangana Fire Emergency and Civil Defense Director Y. Nagi Reddy, Special Chief Secretary (Industry) Jayesh Ranjan and others attended the first session of the National Fire, Electrical Safety and Automation (FEMA) Seminar in Hyderabad on Thursday November 7).
Telangana’s emergence as a pharmaceutical hub has been challenged by an increasing number of facility incidents over the past few years. Fire chief Y. Nagi Reddy said on Thursday (November 7) that Telangana has witnessed 97 major fire incidents in the pharmaceutical industry in the past 10 years, causing property damage worth about Rs 93 crore.
The official, who was speaking at the inaugural session of the National Symposium on Fire, Electrical Safety and Automation (FEMA) in the Pharmaceutical Industry, stressed that handling fires in the pharmaceutical industry is challenging as the industry uses different kinds of gases and chemicals. “The pharmaceutical industry poses additional hazards compared to other industries, particularly the use and transfer of solvents. Fires and explosions in solvents or dusts are common hazards in this industry and fire safety audits must be carried out regularly.
He suggested that pharmaceutical companies use technology for 24×7 remote monitoring and maintenance.
The two-day seminar organized by Fire and Safety Association of India (FSAI) started at Hyderabad International Convention Center (HICC) on Thursday. The campaign comes against the backdrop of an increasing number of fire incidents in the pharmaceutical industry in Hyderabad and elsewhere.
Special Chief Secretary (Industry) Jayesh Ranjan said any type of accident can disrupt the industry. “Many pharmaceutical companies are under observation by European regulators for not adhering to ESG guidelines. If this does not change, they will stop importing medicines from India.
He noted the scarcity of talent in pharmaceutical companies and pointed out that the Youth Skills University of India will collaborate with FSAI to offer fire safety courses.
“In the past, the Telangana government announced pharma cities covering 20,000 acres, but the new government wants to decentralize power and set up pharma villages in around 10 clusters,” he added.
Prasad Nishtala, president of FSAI Hyderabad chapter, said the pharmaceutical industry in Hyderabad is resilient and well-equipped but more can be done in terms of training.
More than 300 senior managers in the pharmaceutical industry and representatives of more than 100 pharmaceutical companies participated in this event, and held a number of technical meetings on topics including hazard analysis, risk identification and mitigation in the production field, etc.
Published – November 7, 2024, 6:58 pm (IST)
