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..

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Malegaon recycles the ‘unrecyclable’ ahead of polls

As Malegaon’s residents queue up to vote for the Assembly polls on Monday, an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 of them are unified in their concern for survival of the fledgling industry

Elections usually bring with it communal tensions in this city famous for its power looms and small-budget movies. The bridge over the Girna river on Mumbai-Agra highway divides the city’s Hindu and Muslim habitations, while symbiotic business ties of the two communities unite them to keep violence at bay.

As Malegaon’s residents queue up to vote for the Assembly polls on Monday, an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 of them, mostly Muslims and some Hindus, who earn their livelihoods from recycling ‘single-use plastic’, are unified in their concern for survival of the fledgling industry.

In Malegaon, only a handful are associated with the film industry. The textile industry is the biggest employer. An estimated 150,000 power looms operate in the city. Lesser known is Malegaon’s plastic recycling industry. As traders associated with the business like to put it, men, women, and children, the most abjectly poor of the city, help recycle plastic that is considered ‘unrecyclable’ anywhere else in the country.

Safety norms, whether to do with the health of workers, or toxicity of the material, are least concerning among people busy making ends meet. A recent National Green Tribunal order has asked the administration to disconnect electricity supply to units to prevent further polluting activities…

Read More: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan