NANGAL – The Nangal administration on Friday stated that initial inquiries found no evidence of a gas leak from any chemical plants in the industrial area last night, a claim immediately challenged by panic-stricken local villagers who accused officials of protecting the companies involved.
Panic had erupted Wednesday night in several villages along the Himachal Pradesh border here following reports of a suspected gas leak, with residents complaining of thick clouds of gas and a pungent smell that lasted for about an hour.
SDM Confirms Sensor Check: SDM Sachin Pathak, who inspected the plants with a Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) team, confirmed the findings. “As of now, there is no evidence of leakage from any of the plants. The PPCB is still examining the situation,” he stated. He added that checks on the two major units, National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) and Primo Chemicals, showed negative results: “All six ammonia sensors at NFL were checked and none showed any leakage. Similarly, Primo Chemicals’ chlorine sensors registered no spikes.”
New Theory: Leak from Transit Tanker: Meanwhile, sources within the administration suggested that investigators are now exploring a third possibility: that the incident could be the result of a leak from chemical-laden tankers that regularly pass through the area, transporting chemicals like ammonia and chlorine. A senior official suggested that a minor valve failure or unnoticed seepage from a tanker in transit could have released enough fumes to cause the temporary symptoms reported by villagers.
Locals Reject Official Version: Local residents, however, contested the official version, citing a pattern of failed accountability. Ranjit Singh, a resident of Malookpur village, questioned, “If there was no leak, then why did people fall sick?” Another resident, Gurmukh Singh, recalled his eyes burning and struggling to breathe, necessitating urgent announcements from the local gurdwara. Many recalled a similar, unresolved 2024 incident involving students from a local school who fainted after inhaling toxic fumes. “It’s as if Pinto died and nobody was held responsible,” said local resident Vijay Sharma, reflecting the community’s feeling of futile accountability.
