Yadgir gas leak deaths put Karnataka’s chemical industry pollution under scanner

Toxic emissions from chemical factories in the Kadechur-Badiyal Industrial Area in Yadgir district of Karnataka have come under renewed scrutiny after a gas leak at a pharmaceutical unit claimed the lives of three workers and left two others critically injured.

Residents in nearby areas allege that around four to five chemical factories in the industrial area, established nearly a decade ago, have been polluting the air and water, damaging crops, and posing serious health risks. Villagers from Shettihalli, Saidapur, Kadechur, Munagal, and Chegunta in neighbouring Telangana say their year-long protests seeking action against the units have gone unanswered.

The district administration has sealed the factory where the leak occurred, but residents claim several other chemical units continue to flout environmental norms by releasing toxic emissions. They have accused profit-driven companies and the regulatory authorities of failing to curb pollution.

Health concerns among locals

The residents say the extent of pollution is evident in the fact that senior factory executives and managers do not live near the industrial area and prefer to stay nearly 30 km away in Makthal and Mahbubnagar in Telangana.

According to locals, workers in these units frequently report eye and skin discolouration, respiratory ailments, asthma, and persistent cough. They also allege that the medical records of affected workers are being suppressed.

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Farmers say toxic emissions and chemical dust have damaged cotton, pigeon pea, chilli, groundnut, and paddy crops, reducing yields by more than 50 per cent. They also claim that contaminated wastewater has degraded farmland and led to livestock deaths.

Deaths, protests

The Kadechur incident has revived concerns over industrial safety and pollution across Karnataka.

Two workers were recently killed in a chemical tank explosion at a factory in Mandya. In Nanjangud, residents have long alleged that industries discharge untreated effluents into the Kapila river. Villagers near the Bashettihalli Industrial Area in Doddaballapur have also been protesting against industrial waste contaminating lakes in the Arkavathi basin, citing a rise in skin diseases and cancer cases.

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Similar allegations of industrial pollution have been raised in Bengaluru's Jigani and Peenya industrial areas and in Baikampady, Mangaluru.

Kannada activist Veeresh Sajjan said sealing a single factory would not address the larger problem. He demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for the gas leak, criminal proceedings against the company owners, and strict action against all polluting units in the industrial area.

Demand for action

Kannada organisations have demanded the immediate suspension of Pollution Control Board officials for allegedly failing to carry out safety inspections. They have also called for comprehensive safety audits of all chemical and pharmaceutical factories in Karnataka, an end to the discharge of untreated chemical waste into water bodies and farmland, and compensation for the affected farmers.

Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tukaram Pandwe and Superintendent of Police Prithvik Shankar said an FIR had been registered against the factory, and that the cause of the gas leak would be investigated. NDRF, SDRF, and forensic teams have been deployed at the site.

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Gurumitkal MLA Sharangouda Kandakur alleged that chemical factories in the Kadechur industrial area had been releasing toxic emissions for years despite repeated complaints. He held the district administration and the district minister responsible for failing to prevent the tragedy.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka.)