‘Proper machinery function crucial to reduce gas leaks'
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Nagpur: Faulty mechanical seals in pumps have become a leading cause of gas leaks in industrial equipment, said Atul Vaidya, vice-chancellor of Lakshminarayan Innovation Technological University (LITU).
Speaking at a seminar on fugitive emissions organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Vaidya emphasised the critical importance of raw materials and their processes in the industry.
Speaking at the inaugural session, Vaidya said, "Fugitive emission is a well-known issue, which can be best managed when you understand your processes and raw materials. Air pollution and emissions started to get attention after the Bhopal gas tragedy."
He added that the emission doesn't need to come from a specific industry, "it can originate either from a labour-intensive industry or the automated industry as well".
Discussing the main source of fugitive emissions, Vaidya said that leaks in the pumps of processing machines lead to localised gas contamination, which can result in fatal or deadly accidents. "This type of leak is difficult to detect, and the cause behind it is not easily identified; therefore, ensuring machinery functions properly is crucial to reducing emissions," he said.
"The concentration of emissions is very harmful, as sometimes it can be fatal and sometimes life-threatening, and therefore, managing fugitive emissions is very important," he said. He emphasized that the main causes of fugitive emissions are twofold: first, the storage of liquid chemicals; and second, during operations like filling and emptying tanks, which create pressure and cause evaporation, leading to emissions.
Later, entrepreneur and environmentalist Ashish Kaswa, in a panel discussion on 'Evolving global and Indian standards on fugitive emissions', said, "Unknowingly, farmers are one of the biggest contributors to pollution. They burn their crops due to a narrow window between harvesting and sowing. The problem is farmers don't know that this is a bad thing for them. So, the only way to solve this issue is creating awareness," Kaswa said and called on social service groups and NGOs to help in this regard.
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