There are at least 1000 acid attacks taking place a year in India and many more in the world!

Who are carrying out these attacks?  Those who are heartless, wicked, cruel and are at the bottom of the pit of cowardice carry out these attacks.

Acids, including strong acids, are available to purchase in India without much restrictions or verification of end user. This makes it an easier weapon in the hands of failed lovers, disgruntled colleagues or family members to use in their cowardly act to mutilate the victims with irreversible damage or even cause death.

Acid is a powerful weapon in the hands of these heartless people as well pose a big safety issue during transport and storage.

During transport or storage if acids leaks from its containment it may result in reacting with other cargo and/or packages causing an incident or accident leading to loss of property or lives.

Transport regulations classify acids under class 8, corrosive substances.  Many of those chemicals which violently reacts with acids have been given compatibility conditions of away and separated from acids in these regulations.  For example if we have a commodity belonging to alkali or cyanide, transport regulations states this must be separated from acids, which subsequently prohibits loading of both the substances in the same shipping container or distance between them is regulated when loaded on ships un containerized.

However in transport regulations none of the entries belonging to acids have any segregation rule stating it must be segregated from cyanides, alkalis or oxidizing substances, baring few acids which has a rule stating must be segregated from strong acids.

While handling for transport or storage each acid must be checked in the individual schedule in relevant regulation for its own properties together with any other cargoes’ compatibility with this acid for safety.

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• SC slams Centre for not framing policy to curb acid sale (thehindu.com)
• India’s Supreme Court demands action on acid attacks (dawn.com)
• Russia sacks head of Bolshoi ballet (bbc.co.uk)
• Centre not serious on curbing sale of acid: SC (ibnlive.in.com)
• Bolshoi Director Fired: Russian Culture Ministry Dismisses Anatoly Iksanov (huffingtonpost.com)
• India Awaits A Policy On Acid Attacks – OpEd (eurasiareview.com)