Vizag gas leak: NGT orders action against those responsible for failure of law

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary to identify and take actions against persons responsible for the failure of law in permitting LG Polymers to operate without statutory clearances. This comes a day after the enquiry committee headed by former Andhra Pradesh High Court judge B Seshasayana Reddy submitted its report in the Vizag gas leak matter, which claimed 12 lives. 

A bench of the NGT headed by Chairperson AK Goel, while hearing the case on Wednesday, directed the state Chief Secretary to take appropriate action within two months and file a report on the matter as well. The next hearing has been listed on November 3. The tribunal has also directed the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to constitute an expert committee to suggest ways and means to revamp the monitoring mechanism to check and prevent violation of environmental norms and preventing any such recurrence in future in any of the establishments dealing with hazardous chemicals. It has directed the ministry to file an action report within three months.

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Furthermore, the bench directed that the 50 crore Rs deposited by the company with the Vishakhapatnam District Magistrate will stand appropriated towards part liability and interim compensation to be spent for the restoration of the environment and compensation for the victims in accordance with the restoration plan to be prepared. 

SC refuses to interfere

The Supreme Court had on May 19 refused to interfere with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order issued earlier. The NGT had directed LG Polymers, the owners of the plant where the gas leak happened, to deposit Rs 50 crores for the damage caused by the Styrene gas leak. A bench headed by Justice Uday Umesh Lalit refused to entertain the petition filed by LG polymers challenging the order of the NGT. Apart from directing LG Polymers to pay Rs 50 crores, the NGT had also directed setting up of a 5-member committee headed by former judge Seshasayana Reddy.

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Vizag Gas leak

Gas leaked from LG Polymers chemical plant in RR Venkatapuram village in Visakhapatnam in the early hours on May 8 and quickly spread to villages in a five-kilometre radius, killing at least 11 people and impacting about 1,000, many collapsing to the ground as they tried to escape the toxic vapours. Around 2,000 mt tonnes of chemical gas Styrene was leaked, according to sources. Among the dead were two children, aged six and nine, a first-year medical student and two people who fell into a well while fleeing the vapours from the plant, getting ready to reopen after the lockdown. Around 3,000 people were evacuated by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams from Imhachalam, Gopalapatnam, Vepagunta. 

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