People living in the neighbouring areas of the state-run ONGC plant in Uran, Navi Mumbai, where a fire killed four people a week back, have come together to ensure their safety and that a similar situation does not arise again. They have sent a letter citing all their demands to the ONGC project head and the Uran MPs and MLAs. They also plan to stage a hunger strike on September 20 in case the letter fails to yield a response from the authorities concerned.

Uran resident, Santosh Pawar, said, "The ONGC authorities said that the chemical had started leaking into the nullah since the previous night. Then why wasn't there an alarm to alert people? Over and above this, none of the fire safety equipment were working properly and those who were using extinguishers to control the blaze did not have proper fire-proof jackets. They should keep a check of the entire automatic system, which they claim to be of a very high quality, as they are handling hazardous chemicals.