Just a day before inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a fire broke out in a unit of Pachpadra refinery in Rajasthan on Monday afternoon, NDTV reported.
Plumes of smoke was seen from refinery, the report said while the employees activated the fire safety system and started efforts to control the fire. The cause of the fire is not known so far, and efforts to control the fire are ongoing.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma was expected to visit the refinery this evening to look after the preparations ahead of the inauguration by PM Modi tomorrow, April 21.
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VIDEO | A fire broke out at the Pachpadra refinery in Rajasthan's Balotra district, a day before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 20, 2026
Fire tenders rushed to the spot and efforts were underway to douse the flames. No immediate reports of casualties available. More… pic.twitter.com/eT2xD4vsB4
The Pachpadra refinery is India's first greenfield integrated Refinery-cum-Petrochemical Complex in Balotra, which is a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and the Rajasthan government. The refinery is expected play a key role to boost India's energy security by reducing dependence on imports and enhancing domestic production capabilities.
The foundation stone for the refinery was first laid on September 22, 2013 by Sonia Gandhi, when Ashok Gehlot served a the Chief Minister of the state, with an initial estimated cost of Rs 37,230 crore. Following the change in government, PM Modi relaunched the project on January 16, 2018 and cost was revised to Rs 43,129 crore.
In addition to fuel production, the refinery is estimated to produce major quantities of downstream petrochemical products, which will serve as high-quality raw materials for forthcoming industrial units in the region.Products such as polypropylene, polyethylene (HDPE/LLDPE), benzene, toluene, and butadiene are expected to be produced.
These goods will support the manufacturing of a wide range of goods, including plastic furniture, agricultural pipes, packaging films, automobile components, synthetic fibers, medical equipment, and chemicals such as paints and detergents.
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