According to the district administration, a team of technical experts will carry out the controlled removal of ammonia gas from the plant as part of a safety exercise. File
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Tiruvallur district authorities have declared a 500-metre radius around a private seafood processing plant at Kannigaipair village as a restricted zone ahead of a planned ammonia removal operation scheduled for July 4 and 5. An ammonia leak from the said plant on June 21 has killed 18 migrant workers so far.
According to the district administration, a team of technical experts will carry out the controlled removal of ammonia gas from the plant as part of a safety exercise. As a precaution, all occupants of private factories, shops, schools, and residential buildings located within a 300-metre radius of the plant were evacuated to safer locations by 6 p.m. on Friday.
Traffic curbs
Traffic diversions will be in force on the National Highway on both days of the operation. Heavy and goods vehicles travelling from Uthukottai towards Janappanchathiram and Red Hills will be diverted at Soolaimeni Junction through SIPCOT, Kavarapettai, and Gummidipoondi. Government buses from Uthukottai to Red Hills will be rerouted via Vadamadurai Junction, Vengal, and Thamaraipakkam, while all vehicles travelling from Janappanchathiram to Periyapalayam and Uthukottai will be diverted through Kavarapettai.
The operation will be coordinated by the police, Revenue Department, Fire and Rescue Services, Rural Development Department, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), medical teams, and the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health.
A control room has been set up at the Kannigaipair Revenue Inspector’s Office, and the public can contact 9952590412 for emergency assistance.
The district administration has advised residents not to panic in the event of an ammonia leak. People have been instructed to move to an upwind location, cover their nose and mouth with a wet cloth, leave the affected area by moving crosswind before proceeding upwind, and immediately contact the control room in case of an emergency.
Tiruvallur Collector S. Kavitha and other officers inspecting the preparatory works
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
‘All arrangements made’
On Friday, after inspecting the site, Tiruvallur District Collector S. Kavitha appealed to the public to cooperate with the authorities to ensure the safe completion of the ammonia removal operation. Ms. Kavitha said, “We are taking steps to safely remove the ammonia currently stored here. Today [Friday], preparatory work is under way. An expert committee is inspecting and verifying the site. The required materials and equipment are being mobilised, and the necessary teams are being deployed. Ambulances, the Fire and Rescue Services, the vehicle that will transport the ammonia, along with the required pipes and other equipment, have all been arranged.”
“We are informing residents that there is no need to panic. The operation is scheduled to begin tomorrow at 8 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m. The work will not continue after dark. If the operation is completed tomorrow, it will conclude then. If not, it will resume the following day, again starting at 8 a.m. The traffic diversion is planned only for tomorrow. Depending on the situation the following day, if the risk has reduced, the road will be reopened. We will make that decision based on the prevailing conditions,” she added.
Health teams will also be stationed nearby. If anyone experiences fear, anxiety, or any health concerns, they can approach the medical camps that have been set up, said the district administration.
Published – July 03, 2026 06:08 pm IST
