Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau.
Rudrapur: A joint inspection was conducted at a pharmaceutical manufacturing unit on Moradabad Road in Kashipur of district Udham Singh Nagar on Friday evening after eight women fainted due to exposure to chemicals. The team, comprising Tehsildar Pankaj Chandola, Senior Drugs Inspector Neeraj Diwakar, and Pollution Control Board (PCB) Regional Officer Naresh Goswami, found that the fainting incident was caused by an accidental release of a tablet-coating chemical.
Drugs Inspector Diwakar said, “Contrary to initial reports, the women fainted not because of pesticide spraying but due to exposure to the coating chemical. This was a case of human error.” PCB officer Naresh Goswami added, “The factory’s operations were found to be in compliance with departmental standards.”
The incident occurred on Thursday evening when pesticides were being sprayed inside the Agron Remedies Pharmaceutical factory to control mosquitoes. Over 200 workers were present on-site. Shortly after the spraying commenced, several female workers began experiencing respiratory distress. Eight women, identified as Asha Devi, Kanchan Saini, Meena, Anita Yadav, Kashish, Chanchal, Neha Yadav, and another Asha Devi, lost consciousness.
The company’s HR manager, Manish Singh, said, “We were conducting routine mosquito control measures. Out of the 200–250 workers present, eight women were affected. They were immediately taken to a private hospital, and their condition is now improving.”
Dr Pankaj Saini, who is overseeing the treatment of the workers, said, “Two women remain in critical condition due to exposure to the gases, but the rest are recovering well and will be discharged soon.”
