Ammonia Gas Leakage at IFFCO Strikes Concerns Over Company’s Operational Creditability

A tragic leak of Ammonia gas at Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) on late Tuesday has raised serious questions over the management of the company. The gas leaked from urea processing unit due to the malfunctioning of the ammonia plunger.

This astonishing incident has led to casualties of two senior officials and have left at least 15 others hospitalized. The plant comprising production facilities for both Urea and Ammonia is situated at Phulpur, Prayagraj.

Ammonia gas leak has become the fifth incident that has happened in the last two years.Since IFFCO is an Asian level fertilizer production company, the recurring events of gas leaks since past two years have raised concerns over the complete management. As of now, the leakage has been handled and strict investigation has been initiated to ascertain the prime cause behind it. Ammonia, a chemical compound with strong odour is widely utilized in the production of various chemicals and fertilizers.

Acute exposure to ammonia gas can give rise to uneasiness and burning sensation to eyes, throat, and nose while its continuous exposure can be fatal and might lead to severe damage to lung and eyes.