Two Dead in Chloroform Leak at Saraca Labs in Gaddapotharam, TGPCB Orders Closure
Two workers died and six others fell ill following a toxic chloroform vapour leak on October 22 at the Saraca Laboratories unit in Gaddapotharam village, Jinnaram mandal, Sangareddy district. The fatal leak prompted the Telangana Pollution Control Board to issue an emergency order the following day shutting down the facility and directing the disconnection of its electricity supply.
The accident took place around 11:30 pm inside Production Block No. 2 of the bulk-drug and intermediates manufacturing plant. The vapours escaped during a chemical layer separation process moving from a first-floor reactor down to a ground receiver. Company General Manager Madhu and Deputy General Manager Yogeshwar Rao told inspectors that the escaping vapours rapidly accumulated and spread through the workspace. Around 1,750 litres of chloroform separation layer were inside the reactor at the time, although the exact volume that leaked has not been established.
Two workers fell unconscious after inhaling the toxic fumes and were declared dead at Narayana Hospital. Police identified the deceased as Sudarshan Rao, 27, and Balaji, 44, both from Andhra Pradesh. Six additional workers became seriously ill following the exposure. Patancheru DSP Prabhakar alerted the pollution board's RC Puram office, and police have undertaken an investigation into the cause of the leak and the company's safety precautions.
A subsequent inspection by board officials uncovered severe infrastructural and safety deficiencies. The scrubber's HDPE vent line and valve were found broken and fallen, with visible chemical spillages near the duct and a lingering chloroform smell. Volatile organic compound readings measured 20 ppm at the site of the leak and 0.1 ppm outside the block, though inspectors noted these were general VOC levels rather than chloroform-specific concentrations.
The regulatory body found that the plant lacked chloroform leak-detection alarm sensors and equipment to arrest vapour emissions. While the unit maintained a double-stage scrubber, it failed to install a sub-cooler condenser followed by an activated charcoal bed. The plant's consent for operation had previously been auto-renewed in March 2026, granting permission to operate until March 31, 2031.
Taking action without a hearing, the board ordered the immediate cessation of all industrial activity and mandated power disconnection within 48 hours, citing grave risks to public health and the environment. The order warned that continued operations, including the use of power generators, would lead to prosecution. The board also noted previous complaint-related non-compliance directives issued between 2020 and August 2026, as well as past requests to the collector regarding inquiries into buffalo deaths. The Telangana Human Rights Commission has called for a comprehensive report from the district collector by November 26.
