Vizag Gas Leak: NGT directs LG Polymers to immediately deposit Rs 50 crore

New Delhi, May 08: National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed LG Polymers, India on Friday, to deposit an initial amount of Rs 50 crore on an immediate basis, taking note of damages caused due to the gas leakage that took atleast 11 lives and over 800 hospitalised after gas leaked from LG Polymers plant in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam.

NGT has also issued notice to LG Polymers, Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the fatal accident of Andhra Pradesh.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel stated that NGT would take up on Friday the matter that titled, "In re: Gas Leak at LG Polymers Chemical Plant in RR Venkatapuram Village Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh".

A plea was filed seeking constitution of a high-level committee to investigate the gas leak incident earlier on Thursday after the incident occured.

The NGO, Centre for Wildlife and Environmental Litigation Foundation, has sought constitution of a high-level committee, comprising of judges and officers, not below the rank of Joint Secretary, to probe the incident.

It has sought direction to the state government to ensure the protection and security of the residents of the surrounding area and imposing exemplary costs on violators.

The owner of this Vizag plant is a South Korean company LG Chemical Ltd.

An official of LG Polymers issued a statement that there were 1,800 tonnes of styrene in the storage tank. He said that due to stagnation and changes in temperature it could have resulted in auto polymerization which could have caused vapourisation.