Gas leak in Visakhapatnam: SC defers proceedings before NGT, grants last opportunity to LG Polymers

  Supreme Court on Thursday deferred proceedings before National Green Tribunal in connection with Visakhapatnam chemical factory gas leak incident in which 11 people were killed and 1,000 exposed to it.A bench heed by Justice U U Lalit also granted LG Polymers 10 days' time as "last opportunity" to file its objections to report of a joint monitoring committee which was uploed on NGT website on May 23.

"Considering fact that this court is w seized of matter, we request NGT to defer hearing till next order of this court," bench said.

Senior vocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for company, said company could t file its response to report of committee due to several unexpected reasons.Earlier, top court h restrained Andhra Presh government and NGT from disbursing compensation amount of Rs 50 crore, deposited by LG Polymers India Ltd, among victims of gas leak.

South Korean firm, in its plea before Andhra Presh High Court, h sought access to plant, permission to clear "finished products lying in plant" and access to original records lying in a sealed condition so that it can respond to queries of various committees probing gas leak.It has also challenged order of NGT taking suo motu (on its own) cognisance of gas leak incident.

NGT has ruled that it has "power and jurisdiction to take suo moto cognisance in respect of environmental issues" and later directed that amount of Rs 50 crore be appropriated towards part liability and interim compensation.On May 8, NGT h imposed an interim penalty of Rs 50 crore on firm and sought responses from Centre and ors in gas leak incident, saying "re appears to be a failure to comply with said rules and or statutory provisions".

top court, on May 26, h allowed LG Polymers India Ltd to send its 30 employees to maintain "round--clock safety measures" at its sealed plant in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Presh.It was hearing appeal of LG Polymers against May 22 order of Andhra Presh High Court directing that " premises of company shall be completely seized and one be allowed to enter into premises including directors of company".

high court h said that body, except members of committees appointed by state government, will be allowed to visit plant and it also ordered that directors of firm will t leave country without its d.

While permitting firm to send its employees inside plant, apex court h considered submissions of company that complete sealing of plant will have "tremendous verse consequences and impact" as technical members of firm were required to be re to ensure that temperature of plant does t go beyond 25 degree Celsius, which is necessary to maintain safety standards.

A total of 12 people, including a mir, were killed when styrene vapours leaked from LG Polymers plant on May 7, while several hundreds fell ill after inhaling poisous chemical at R Venkatapuram near Visakhapatnam.

apex court, on May 19, h asked LG Polymers India to approach NGT to raise issue regarding setting up of multiple committees to probe May 7 gas leak from its plant in Visakhapatnam.

NGT h set up a five-member committee, heed by former Andhra Presh High Court judge Justice B Seshasayana Reddy, to probe into incident in plant and submit a report before May 18. 

(IM CREDITS:PTI)