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The | New Delhi |
Updated: May 8, 2020 4:37:53 pm
The NGT also ordered LG Polymers India Pvt to submit Rs 50 crore a provisional amount for life damage. (Twitter / Srijana Gumalla)
Following the incident of the gas leak at a chemical factory in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, which claimed 11 lives on Thursday, the National Green Court imposed a provisional fine of Rs 50 on LG Polymers India on Friday and sought a response from the Center and others for “damage to life, public health and the environment.”
NGT President Adarsh Kumar Goel has also issued notices to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF & CC), Andhra Pradesh State PCB, Vishakhapatnam District Magistrate, Central Board Pollution Control Officer (CPCB) and LG Polymers India Pvt. Limited to report on the incident.
The court established a five-member committee headed by NGT President Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, which included former High Court Judge Andhra Pradesh, Judge B. Seshasayana Reddy, Professor Ch V Rama Chandra Murthy, former Vice Chancellor of Andhra University, Professor Pulipati King, Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, Andhra University, Member Secretary, CPCB and Director, CSIR to investigate the incident and submit a report by May 18.
Vizag gas leak: no green nod, company told state last May
The NGT had addressed the suo motu issue based on several media reports of the leak of styrene, a dangerous gas, from a chemical plant at 3:45 a.m. in the village of Venkatpuram in Visakhapatnam, which killed 11 people. and the hospitalization of more than a hundred. Twenty-five of those hospitalized are in serious condition. The chemical plant is owned by a South Korean company LG Polymers India Pvt Ltd.
A father rushes to take his son for treatment at King George Hospital after a major chemical gas leak in the LG Polymers industry in RR Venkatapuram village, Visakhapatnam. (PTI Photo)
“According to reports, these deaths and injuries are likely to increase. More than 1000 people are reported sick. There is also damage to the environment and habitat. Media reports raise a substantial environmental issue, which this Court must address under Sections 14 and 15 of the 2010 NGT Act, ”the order said.
What is styrene for and how does it behave
Styrene is an organic compound with the formula C8H8, its molecular structure as shown in the image. It is a derivative of benzene (C6H6). It is stored in factories as a liquid, but it evaporates easily and must be kept at temperatures below 20 ° C. It is the main raw material for the synthesis of polystyrene, or (C8H8) n. Polystyrene, in turn, is a versatile plastic that is used to manufacture parts for various appliances, such as refrigerators or micro-ovens; automotive parts; and electronic parts like computers.
The NDRF and NEERI teams are on the ground to support the local administration, according to the official. AP
Styrene gas is a hazardous chemical as defined in Rule 2 (e) of Annex I of the Hazardous Chemicals Manufacturing, Storage and Import Rules, 1989. The Rules require on-site and off-site Emergency Plans to ensure damage prevention.
In its order, the NGT has observed that “there appears to be non-compliance with these Rules and other legal provisions.”
Under the spotlight: loopholes to deal with mishaps like the Vizag gas leak
“The leakage of dangerous gas on such a scale that adversely affects public health and the environment clearly attracts the principle of” strict liability “against the company engaged in the dangerous or inherently dangerous industry. Such entity is responsible for restoring the damage caused by the Environment Law, in addition to other legal responsibilities, the statutory authorities responsible for authorizing and regulating such activities may also be responsible for their failures, if any, in dealing with the matter, ”the NGT order reads.
Visakhapatnam: Affected people being taken to a hospital for treatment after a major chemical gas leak from the LG Polymers industry in the village of RR Venkatapuram, Visakhapatnam, Thursday, May 7, 2020. (PTI photo)
(PTI07-05-2020_000030B)
The committee established by the court will analyze the sequence of events, the causes of the failure of the responsible persons or authorities, the extent of the damage to life, human and non-human, public health and the environment (including soil, water and air), the steps that will be taken to compensate victims and the restitution of damaged property and the environment, and the cost involved and corrective measures to prevent recurrence.
Read | “People came out and collapsed … women and children were crying”
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