Vizag gas leak: NGT takes suo motu cognisance, to hear matter today

The plea said that the State Pollution Control Board, as well as L, has failed to act in accordance with the law and the said “willful” negligence has resulted into deaths of residents

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday took suo motu cognisance on Visakhapatnam gas leak incident and decided to hear the matter on Friday. The matter titled “In re: Gas Leak at LG Polymers Chemical Plant in RR Venkatapuram Village Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh” will be heard by a bench headed by NGT’s chairman AK Goel. Earlier today, NGO CWEL Foundation founder Banu Bansal moved a petition seeking directions by the NGT for a judicial probe into the Visakhapatnam gas leak incident, in which at least 11 people have lost their lives. The NGO sought directions to constitute a high-level committee headed by a retired Justice and officers not below the rank of joint secretary to prove the gas leakage incident.

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“We have filed a petition in the NGT over the Visag gas leak incident,” said Gaurav Bansal, advocate for the NGO CWEL Foundation. He said that they have also sought directions to constitute an independent committee to probe the incident and identify the responsibility of the district, government authorities, company management and pollution control board in the incident. The petition said that a gas leakage of such a kind shows that officials of the Andhra Pradesh State Pollution Control Board have failed to act in accordance with the letter and spirit of the law of the land adding that it is because of the negligent and careless attitude of the officials that people died in the incident..

Max 1 day, 5000 protesters: What police might recommend for Jantar Mantar

According to a Delhi Police official, if the duration is fixed, the police will find it easier to monitor their actions and also prepare themselves accordingly

The Delhi Police is likely to recommend capping the duration of protest at the Jantar Mantar at maximum one day and limit the number of protestors at 5,000 after the Supreme Court revoked the ban on holding rallies and dharnas at the iconic site.

A senior police officer said that with the Jantar Mantar being redesignated as a site for holding protests, their job of containing protests will become easier.

“After the National Green Tribunal order banning all protests and dharnas around Jantar Mantar last year, protesters wanting to get their plea would gather anywhere, thereby affecting law and order. But with the top court lifting the ban on rallies at the Jantar Mantar, our job of monitoring the situation would become easier,” he added.

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Before the NGT ban, the Jantar Mantar was like a home to many protesters.

After the NGT order in October last year, police and civic body officials demolished tents and makeshift structures set up by ex-servicemen protesting at the Jantar Mantar, demanding implementation of the One-Rank-One-Pension scheme.

The former servicemen had been protesting there for more than two years.

“We will recommend that the duration of the protests should be restricted to a few hours or maximum to a day. They should not stay on for years as was in the case of the OROP protesters. We used to receive a lot of complaints from the residents of the area citing inconvenience,” he added…ARTICLE SOURCE : BS