CHANDIGARH: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) took a suo moto cognizance of the Ludhiana gas leak which claimed 11 lives. The victims include three minors.
An NGT bench headed by Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel constituted an eight-member fact-finding panel. It will be headed by the chairperson of the Punjab State Pollution Control Board.
The tribunal directed the Ludhiana district magistrate to pay Rs 20 lakh each to the next of kin of the victims who died after inhaling toxic gas.
The panel would comprise as its members, Regional Director (North), CPCB, Industrial Toxicology Research Centre (ITRC), Lucknow, a nominee of Director, PGI Chandigarh, a nominee of NDRF, State PCB, District Magistrate, Ludhiana and Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana.
State PCB will act as nodal agency for coordination and compliance.
The committee may meet within one week and complete its task preferably within one month.
It will be free to interact with any other department, institution or individual and undertake visits to concerned sites. The committee will be free to function online or offline as the situation may warrant.
The Committee may give its report to this Tribunal on or before June 30, stated the bench comprising Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel.
The bench further stated, "Meanwhile, the District Magistrate, Ludhiana may ensure payment of compensation of Rs. 20 lakhs each to the heirs of 11 persons who have died, deducting the amounts, if any, already paid within one month. The Committee may mention the details of persons who have died and persons injured with the extent of injuries suffered by them. It may also recommend measures to be taken in the future to prevent such incidents.’’
The next date of hearing is fixed for July 13.
Following the incident, the Ludhiana district administration has announced Rs 2 lakh compensation each for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for those who were taken ill.
