After the catastrophic gas leak incident at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, the Gujarat government has announced that it will send a crucial chemical named — PTBC — to Andhra Pradesh to neutralise the impact of the gas leak that happened last night.

The chemical, PTBC — para‐tertiary butyl catechol (PTBC) is made in Vapi, in Valsad district in South Gujarat and is used to neutralise the impact of the gas leak and contain the spread.

Ashwani Kumar, Secretary to Gujarat Chief Minister, informed that the Andhra Pradesh government had requested the Gujarat government to allow and arrange transport of this chemical to Andhra Pradesh on urgent basis.

“PTBC is required to neutralise impact of gas leakage in Visakhapatnam. This chemical is manufactured only at Vapi in Gujarat. The Andhra Pradesh government has requested Gujarat to allow quick transport of this chemical. The Chief Minister has asked to airlift the chemical and dispatch it to the designated place,” Kumar said, adding that 500 kg of PTBC will be supplied from Gujarat.

“The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh had requested our Chief Minister to help source this chemical and accordingly we have made all the necessary arrangements,” he said.

“The chemical will be transported via road to Daman, from where it will be airlifted to Visakhapatnam,” added Kumar. However, it was not immediately known when the despatch will take place.

Gujarat government’s Principal Secretary - Industries and local district administration are working out the modalities for transport of the chemical.

The fatal gas leak incident, which had happened at around 3 am at LG Polymers Ltd at R R Venkatapuram area near Gopalapatnam, closer to Visakhapatnam international airport, has so far left eight people dead and hundreds hospitalised.

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