NGT: LG Polymers liable for lives lost in Vizag gas leak

05 Jun 2020 CW Staff

Photo courtesy: The Hindu

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) held that LG Polymers India has absolute liability for the loss of life caused by a gas leak at its factory in Visakhapatnam. It said the Rs 50 crore in compensation, deposited by the company, would be spent on restoration. It also constituted a committee to prepare a restoration plan.

Referring to an inspection report furnished by a NGT-appointed committee, a Bench, headed by Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, said, “The committee has opined that the company did not take proper care of the storage tank resulting in auto polymerization of styrene releasing excess heat which escaped from the goose-neck and dip hatch in the form of vapour.”

It also noted the committee’s submissions pertaining to the unit operating without requisite environmental clearances.

The Bench said, “Overwhelming material establish liability” of the company. “The company has operated without EC (environmental clearance) and the State PCB, on account of its ignorance of law or otherwise, gave ‘Consent to Establish’ and ‘Consent to Operate’ in violation of law. The amount deposited has thus to be appropriated towards part liability and interim compensation, subject to further others,” it said.

The NGT directed a committee of representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State government officials to prepare a restoration plan within two months. It directed the Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary to take action against persons responsible for permitting the unit to operate in violation of law.

“In view of the stand of the State PCB and the company that it will not recommence its operation without requisite statutory clearances, we direct that if any such statutory clearances are granted, this aspect must be brought to the notice of this Tribunal so that compliance of law is ensured,” it said.

The Environment Ministry was also directed to revamp monitoring mechanisms to prevent violation of environmental norms.

The NGT said it had a wide jurisdiction, including the power to institute proceedings suo motu and not “keep its hands tied in the face of drastic environmental damage”.

The news has been originally shared by www.thehindu.com, titled 'National Green Tribunal holds LG Polymers liable for the loss of life', on June 3, 2020. We have referred to the original article by the publisher with modified Title to suit our industry audience. To access the original article, click on the following: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/lg-polymers-india-has-absolute-liability-for-gas-leak-ngt/article31737142.ece

Photo courtesy: The HinduThe National Green Tribunal (NGT) held that LG Polymers India has absolute liability for the loss of life caused by a gas leak at its factory in Visakhapatnam. It said the Rs 50 crore in compensation, deposited by the company, would be spent on restoration. It also constituted a committee to prepare a restoration plan.Referring to an inspection report furnished by a NGT-appointed committee, a Bench, headed by Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, said, “The committee has opined that the company did not take proper care of the storage tank resulting in auto polymerization of styrene releasing excess heat which escaped from the goose-neck and dip hatch in the form of vapour.”It also noted the committee’s submissions pertaining to the unit operating without requisite environmental clearances.The Bench said, “Overwhelming material establish liability” of the company. “The company has operated without EC (environmental clearance) and the State PCB, on account of its ignorance of law or otherwise, gave ‘Consent to Establish’ and ‘Consent to Operate’ in violation of law. The amount deposited has thus to be appropriated towards part liability and interim compensation, subject to further others,” it said.The NGT directed a committee of representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State government officials to prepare a restoration plan within two months. It directed the Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary to take action against persons responsible for permitting the unit to operate in violation of law.“In view of the stand of the State PCB and the company that it will not recommence its operation without requisite statutory clearances, we direct that if any such statutory clearances are granted, this aspect must be brought to the notice of this Tribunal so that compliance of law is ensured,” it said.The Environment Ministry was also directed to revamp monitoring mechanisms to prevent violation of environmental norms.The NGT said it had a wide jurisdiction, including the power to institute proceedings suo motu and not “keep its hands tied in the face of drastic environmental damage”.The news has been originally shared by www.thehindu.com, titled 'National Green Tribunal holds LG Polymers liable for the loss of life', on June 3, 2020. We have referred to the original article by the publisher with modified Title to suit our industry audience. To access the original article, click on the following: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/lg-polymers-india-has-absolute-liability-for-gas-leak-ngt/article31737142.ece

Infrastructure Urban

17 Sep 2025

DCPC Prepares for Special Campaign 5.0 with Focus on E-Waste

The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, is gearing up for Special Campaign 5.0, to be held from 2nd to 31st October 2025. The initiative will focus on e-waste disposal as per MoEFCC’s E-Waste Management Rules 2022, space optimisation, and enhancing workplace efficiency across field offices.Special Campaign 4.0, conducted between October 2023 and October 2024, delivered notable results in record management, grievance redressal, scrap disposal, and cleanliness drives.Key outcomes of Special Campaign 4.0Records management: 2,443 physical fil..

Real Estate

17 Sep 2025

BlackRock India Leases 1.4 Lakh Sq Ft in Bengaluru

BlackRock Services India, the domestic arm of global asset manager BlackRock, has leased 1.4 lakh sq ft of office space at IndiQube Symphony in Bengaluru, according to Propstack data. The 10-year deal is valued at around Rs 4.10 billion.The lease, among the largest transactions in India’s co-working sector, highlights the growing preference of global institutions for flexible office providers. The agreement, commencing October 1, 2025, covers ground plus five floors in KNG Tower 1 at Ashoknagar, MG Road — one of Bengaluru’s prime commercial hubs.As per the lease document, BlackRock will ..

Infrastructure Transport

17 Sep 2025

L&T Bags Rs 25–50 Bn Order for Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Track Works

Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Transportation Infrastructure business has secured an order valued between Rs 25 crore and Rs 50 billion from the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.The contract, Package T1, involves the design, supply, construction, testing, and commissioning of 156 route km of high-speed ballastless track on a Design-Build Lump Sum Price basis. The stretch runs from Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex to Zaroli village in Gujarat and includes 21 km of underground track and 135 km of elevated viaduct.Se..