Indian Oil Corporation’s Paradip Refinery on Tuesday conducted a Level-III Onsite-cum-Offsite Emergency Drill to assess its preparedness for handling industrial emergencies with the potential to affect areas beyond the refinery premises.
The mock exercise was carried out in accordance with the refinery’s approved Emergency Response and Disaster Management Plan (ERDMP) and involved coordinated participation from key stakeholders, mutual-aid industries and emergency response agencies.
The simulated scenario involved a chlorine gas leak at the refinery’s Raw Water Treatment Plant (RWTP), resulting in the hypothetical dispersion of gas beyond the refinery boundary. As part of the exercise, residents in the designated affected area were evacuated, while emergency response teams implemented containment, rescue and mitigation measures in line with the ERDMP protocols.
The drill was witnessed by Chandra Sekhar Behera, Assistant Director, Factories and Boilers.
A debriefing session, chaired by Executive Director and Refinery Head Kausik Basu, was attended by the Paradip Refinery management, personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Police, the refinery’s fire services team and representatives of mutual-aid partners, including Paradip Phosphates Ltd (PPL), Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO), Paradip Port Authority (PPA) and PHB Pipeline Project Ltd (PHBPL).
According to the refinery officials, the exercise successfully tested inter-agency coordination, emergency communication systems and response mechanisms for managing a large-scale industrial emergency. Officials said the drill reinforced the preparedness of the refinery and its partner agencies to effectively respond to incidents requiring coordinated onsite and offsite action.