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A fire in a hydroelectric station located close
to unlimited quantities of water would seem to be a contradiction (opposition
between two conflicting forces), but as the deadly blaze (Burn
brightly and intensely) in the Srisailam power plant shows, the risk is
very real. Nine people, including five engineers, perished (Burnt to death) in the facility on the Telangana-Andhra Pradesh border. At
900 MW capacity, the plant on the left bank canal of the Krishna is one of the
biggest contributors to the Telangana State Power Generation Corporation;
another branch serves Andhra Pradesh. What makes the accident more disturbing
is that it comes as another shock in a season of disasters. Industries and
power plants in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have been wracked
(continuously broken) by accidents during the COVID-19 pandemic. In
Srisailam, the fire appears to have started in a control panel during
maintenance. The victims were unable to make an exit through an escape tunnel
and were overwhelmed by smoke, while others at a different level could flee
(run away quickly) in time. Going by official accounts, the smoke made
it difficult even for rescue personnel to enter the four-storeyed structure.
Moreover, videos made by staff present a spectacle of a small fire rapidly
engulfing the working area, trapping the personnel and leaving little room for
manoeuvre. Telangana has instituted a CID inquiry, apart from the plant
operator’s own probe (Inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable
activities). But an external technical audit with no conflicts (Disagreement
between two people) of interest could better serve the objective, identifying
lacunae(A place in which something is missing in a piece of writing) to stop a
future catastrophe. It can determine why the victims could not make a safe
exit, as per standard procedure.
Large hydroelectric power plants are usually
built well below surface level, where generation, control and transmission
equipment are located. Handling a fire becomes complicated in such circumstances
(Situations), and safety features have to be extremely reliable (That
can be trusted to do something). IEEE (Institute of electrical and
electronic engineers) standards for substation fire protection, issued a
quarter century ago, lay (put) down norms for fixed and portable ventilation systems that can
remove heavy smoke — as seen in Srisailam. Use of fire-retardant (substance
that make the progress slower) materials in construction, dual exits, easy
vertical escape routes using staircases and alarm systems are all part of
safety codes. Whether these features were available in the Telangana power plant, and if they were, why the personnel
could not use them to quickly escape the inferno (Very large
uncontrolled fire) should be investigated. The dam fire is primarily the
State government’s responsibility, but the Centre should take the opportunity
to review safety in places such as Jharkhand, where
extensive underground coal field fires have affected remote communities. India
loses many lives to fires each year: at 12,748 accidental deaths in 2018,
nearly double the number caused by forces of nature, according to NCRB(National
crime records bureau) data. Only a rigorous adherence (face of
behaving to a particular rule) to safety codes can reduce this shocking
toll.
Today’s synonyms
1. Contradiction - opposition
between two conflicting forces
2. Blaze - Burn brightly and
intensely
3. Perished - Burnt to death
4. Wracked - continuously broken
5. Flee - run away quickly
6. Probe - Inquiry into unfamiliar or
questionable activities
7. Conflicts - Disagreement between two people)
8.
Circumstances - Situations
9.
Reliable - That can be trusted to do
something)
10. Lay – Put down
11. Retardant-substance that make the progress slower)
12. Inferno - Very large uncontrolled fire
13. Adherence-Face of behaving to a particular rule
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