HazMat gaps, risky decisions: Experts flag systemic failures after Mumbai-Pune eway gas tanker mishap

PUNE: The prolonged operation to neutralise a hazardous gas tanker on a Mumbai-Pune expressway has once again exposed serious gaps in India’s preparedness to deal with chemical emergencies on roads, with experts pointing to the absence of dedicated, round-the-clock hazardous materials (HazMat) response units as a critical weakness.According to specialists involved in post-incident assessments, the lack of an on-call HazMat team delayed key operational decisions, including the adoption of a high-risk decanting strategy to transfer gas from the damaged tanker into empty ones. Such delays, they said, significantly increase the danger to both emergency responders and the public.
The decanting process itself is technically complex and time-consuming. It requires precise pressure management, specialised hoses and constant monitoring, particularly when tanker valves have loosened or the vehicle has become mechanically unstable after overturning. Experts said these constraints stretched the operation over several hours.Another high-risk phase was the lifting of the overturned tanker, which could only be attempted after the liquid gas level was sufficiently reduced. Any premature lifting could have triggered a sudden release of gas, potentially leading to an explosion.

Experts call for structural reforms

Amit Bhargava, co-founder and CEO of Canada-based EnviroApps, said the incident underlined the dangers posed by unregulated hazardous material movement on Indian highways. “India has thousands of hazardous material tankers moving daily. It is essential to have designated routes for the transportation of dangerous goods to prevent incidents like this,” he said.Major General P K Shrivastava (retd), a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) expert, said the episode had renewed calls for institutional reform. “Maharashtra needs to invest in dedicated HazMat units, mandatory industry-linked emergency responders and faster activation protocols to ensure that highway accidents do not turn into prolonged, high-stakes emergencies,” he said.

Immediate steps recommended

Experts and emergency planners have outlined a series of urgent measures to reduce risks from chemical and gas tanker accidents:

• A clearly defined, legally binding standard operating procedure (SOP) for chemical and gas tanker emergencies, detailing roles and strict response timelines for oil companies, district administrations, police, fire brigades and disaster response agencies.
• Mandatory deployment of industry-backed rescue and recovery vans, equipped to handle compressed gas leaks, by petroleum companies, gas refineries and chemical manufacturers.
• Strategic stationing of these units along major highways and industrial corridors to ensure rapid response.
• Restricting the movement of highly hazardous gas tankers to designated time windows, preferably during low-traffic hours, to minimise public exposure and allow quicker site isolation.
• Compulsory emergency-response training for drivers transporting hazardous materials.
• Ensuring every tanker carries a basic emergency kit to manage minor leaks, along with real-time communication systems to alert authorities immediately.
• Increased investment by state governments in specialised training for fire services, police and disaster management personnel, supported by regular mock drills on highways and near industrial hubs.

A growing risk on highways

The scale of hazardous material transport across India continues to rise sharply. Nearly 1,000 propylene gas tankers move daily from refineries in Kochi, Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Jamnagar to industrial consumers across the country. In addition, around 4,000 ammonia tankers originate from Maharashtra’s industrial clusters such as Taloja and Chembur, supplying southern states and other regions.While propylene is highly flammable, experts warn that an ammonia leak could be even more catastrophic, releasing toxic gases that would be extremely difficult to contain in densely populated or high-traffic areas.Without urgent reforms to regulation, routing and emergency preparedness, specialists caution that it may only be a matter of time before a manageable highway accident escalates into a large-scale disaster.