NGT orders LG Polymers to deposit Rs 50 crores. (Download full order)

The National Green Tribunal took suo motu cognisance of the gas leak incident in Vizag that left at least 11 people dead and affected several others.

The leak of hazardous styrene gas at the Visakhapatnam plant in the early hours of Thursday killed at least 11 people and exposed hundreds of other people in nearby villages to serious health issues.

NGT bench headed by chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel asked the company to pay the initial deposit with the district magistrate of Visakhapatnam and also sought a response from the Centre.

“The committee may specifically report on the sequence of events, causes of failure and persons and authorities responsible, extent of damage to life, human and non-human, public health and environment – including water, soil and air, steps to be taken for compensation of victims and restitution of the damaged property and environment and the cost involved,” the bench said.

The tribunal also set up a five-member fact-finding committee comprising former AP High Court judge Justice B Seshasayana Reddy; V Rama Chandra Murthy, Former Vice Chancellor, Andhra University, Vizag; Professor Pulipati King, Head of Chemical Engineering Department, Andhra University; CPCB Member Secretary, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology Director, and head of NEERI in Visakhapatnam.

Read the full order below:-