Mangalore : DK DC A B Ibrahim directed the authorities of Mangalore Airport to take a formal request letter from Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) and ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Limited (OMPL) and declare their areas as ‘No fly zones.

He was speaking after chairing the meet organized for District Disaster Management Authority and Disaster Control Group on disaster management at DC office on October 16, Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, Airport Authority officials said that there is no provision to ban aeroplanes flying over MRPL and such kind of major decisions can be taken only at the center. But there is no problem in this case, since MRPL is not a flying zone.

In turn, DC said that if any air crash occurs above the MRPL area, it will be an unimaginable disaster killing many lives and property at the industrial area.

New Mangalore Port Trust Pollution Control Board members said that MRPL is delaying signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on controlling the oil leakage and points at other oil companies.

While the officials of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) said that share of MRPL in the crude oil import is around 97% and DC directed MRPL official to clear this problem within one month.

But when RPL official urged the DC to ban fishing around 500 metre near Single Point Mooring (SPM) pipeline of the company, the DC failed to accept it.

K G Nanjappa, Deputy Director of Factories, Boilers, Industries Security and Health Department said that there are 11 major accident hazard units including Benzene and Paraxylene units which yet to start working at SEZ soon. Hence employees must undergo regular medical check-ups since Benzene can cause Cancer.

Replying to it, OMPL official said that all security measures have been taken to avoid any leakage of the chemical.

Assistant Deputy Commissioner Sadashiva Prabhu, Additional Superintendent of Police Shivakumar and ZP Deputy Secretary Umesh were present too