No leak alarms at Saraca Labs, Telangana PCB orders closure after two deaths
The Oct 23, 2026, order directed the bulk-drug and intermediates manufacturer at Gaddapotharam village, Jinnaram mandal, to stop industrial activities immediately. Leak during layer separation According to the board’s order, chloroform vapours escaped around 11.30 pm on Oct 22 in Production Block No. 2 during layer separation from a first-floor reactor to a ground receiver. Around 1,750 litres of chloroform separation layer were reportedly in the reactor; the order does not establish how much leaked. Police identified the deceased as Sudarshan Rao, 27, and Balaji, 44, both from Andhra Pradesh. VOC readings reached 20 ppm at the incident point and 0.1 ppm outside the block. Previously, the unit’s consent for operation (CFO) had been auto-renewed in Mar 2026 until Mar 31, 2031. Previous directions The order records complaint-related and non-compliance directions between 2020 and Aug 2026. Closure compliance was sought within 24 hours and power-disconnection compliance within 48 hours. Police said six additional workers became seriously ill, and the Telangana Human Rights Commission sought the collector’s report by Nov 26.
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General manager Madhu and deputy general manager Yogeshwar Rao told inspectors that vapours rapidly accumulated and spread. Wastewater and debris disposal directions refer to a “fire accident”, although the incident narrative establishes only a leak. Hyderabad : Saraca Laboratories lacked chloroform leak-detection alarm sensors and equipment to arrest vapour emissions, the Telangana Pollution Control Board found while ordering closure of its Sangareddy unit after a leak killed two people, identified in reports as workers from Andhra Pradesh. TGPCB also ordered power disconnection, citing safety failures, consent violations and risks to public health and the environment. Police have been investigating the cause and the safety arrangements. Broken vent, missing equipment Inspectors found the scrubber’s HDPE vent line and valve broken and fallen, spillages near the duct and a lingering chloroform smell. These were not identified as chloroform-specific concentrations. Besides missing leak alarms, the unit lacked a sub-cooler condenser followed by an activated charcoal bed, despite having a double-stage scrubber. TGPCB ordered closure without a hearing. It also cites requests to the collector for an inquiry into buffalo deaths in previous incidents to assess compensation payable by industries. No implementation report accompanies the orders. Continued operation, including through generators, would attract prosecution. Download the TOI App.
Two people became unconscious and were declared dead at Narayana Hospital. Patancheru DSP Prabhakar informed the TGPCB’s RC Puram office.