Chlorine Gas Leak at Nagpur Water Plant Hospitalises Dozens; Probe Ordered

A chlorine gas leak at a water treatment plant in Nagpur's Godhani area in the early hours of Monday sent dozens of residents to hospitals, prompting a multi-agency rescue operation. The leak occurred around 1 AM at the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran's Godhni Municipal Council Water Treatment Plant, when chlorine began escaping from a 900-kg capacity cylinder, according to multiple reports.

The gas spread rapidly to nearby residential localities, causing panic and breathing difficulties among residents. Local police and administrative officials alerted those in the immediate vicinity and advised evacuation. Police later evacuated residents within a 200-metre radius and sealed off the affected area, as reported by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).

Several people were taken to hospitals, with many going on their own and others being transported by police, an official at Mankapur police station said. The NMC urged people not to believe in rumours.

Hospitalisations and response

The number of people hospitalised varies across reports. Several outlets, including ANI, Deccan Chronicle, Free Press Journal, ThePrint, and Times Now, reported that more than 40 locals fell ill. The New Indian Express and Republic World also cited over 40 affected. CNBC TV18 reported at least 40 hospitalised, with four in intensive care. THE WEEK reported over 50 hospitalised, including four minors, while a Times of India report said at least 52 were hospitalised, with 12 discharged and all patients stable. A separate ANI report said 56 residents were hospitalised, with 11 discharged and 45 still in hospital, including eight in ICU.

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation Fire Department dispatched two water tenders and personnel with breathing apparatus to the site. Employees of Orange City Water (OCW) and a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were also deployed. The joint rescue operation concluded around 5:30 AM after the leak was plugged. Emergency personnel submerged the cylinder in a water tank containing a caustic soda solution to neutralise the gas, according to officials.

Nagpur District Collector Kumar Ashirwad spearheaded the multi-agency response, deploying NDRF, industrial safety officials, and medical teams, according to an ANI report. The Health Department and District Disaster Management Authority initiated door-to-door health checks. Briefings were conducted with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who directed that medical care be uncompromised and auxiliary facilities be on high alert.

Investigation and clarifications

Senior Police Inspector Haresh Kalsekar of Mankapur police station said no offence had been registered and an enquiry would be conducted. Preliminary investigation indicated that the leak came from a 900-kg chlorine cylinder that had been kept on the premises for around six months and had developed a structural rupture in its outer wall, as reported by THE WEEK and Times of India.

OCW officials clarified that the affected facility is a Godhani Gram Panchayat-operated water plant and not an NMC- or OCW-operated facility. The OCW team responded with self-contained breathing apparatus sets, and police and DISH officials appreciated their response.

The air in the immediate vicinity continued to reek of chlorine on Monday morning, though the situation was under control, according to Times of India. The impact appeared largely confined to the area around the plant, with residents and morning walkers continuing their routine without visible panic. Videos on social media purportedly showed stray dogs dying in the affected area, but the cause could not be independently verified.

The chlorine leak in Nagpur follows two other recent gas leak incidents in India: an ammonia leak at a meat processing plant in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on July 22, which hospitalised at least 14 women workers, and a toxic gas leak at a pharmaceutical unit in Karnataka's Yadgir district earlier in August that killed three workers, as mentioned in some reports.