With the emanating from the storage tank at JSW Energy's thermal power plant, over 30 school students were affected in the coastal Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. This information was shared by the police on Thursday. However, in a statement on Thursday evening in this matter, JSW Energy said that there is no gas storage facility in its thermal plant in Ratnagiri, and according to media reports, it is not involved in this incident.
The police officer informed that all the students were from Jaigarh Vidya Mandir School, which is adjacent to the plant. Over 30 out of 250 students present in the school complained of eye irritation after being exposed to the fumes from the tank cleaning process, police said. Some of them were rushed to a nearby hospital, police said.
He further informed him that these fumes were of ethyl mercaptan, an extremely odorous colorless liquid that was flammable, used to provide the distinct smell in natural gas as well as an odorant and as a starting material for plastics, pesticides, and antioxidants.
A statement issued by JSW Energy said, 'At JSW Energy, safety and well-being of employees, community, and environment remain utmost priorities. We follow stringent safety protocols and continuously monitor our operations to ensure that they meet the highest standards. Our commitment to safety is unequivocal, and we take every precaution to prevent any incident that may affect the health and safety of the surrounding community.'