The National Green Tribunal on Friday asked LG Polymers India Pvt to pay Rs 50 crore as interim amount and issued notices to the company, the Centre, the Central Pollution Control Board and others in the Visakhapatnam gas leak incident of Thursday in which 11 people were killed.
A day earlier, the Andhra Pradesh police had booked the management of the chemical plant on charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing death by negligence police said.
The Gopalapatnam police registered the case against the management of the LG Polymers Ltd under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life and personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt).
NGT directed LG Polymers to submit Rs 50 crore as an interim amount for damage to life, public health and environment.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel also formed a five-member Committee comprising Justice B Seshasayana Reddy to probe the incident and submit a report before May 18.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court has also taken suo motu cognisance of the styrene gas leak and issued notices to the state and the Central governments.
Evacuations increased, authorities deny reports of second leak
Authorities doubled the evacuation area around the factory to a 5 kilometre radius on Friday, Reuters reported.
On Thursday and early Friday, there was confusion and panic after fire officer N Surendra Anand told Reuters that there were renewed emissions from the plant.
Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Commissioner Srijana Gummalla told the news agency that emissions had been fluctuating through the day and had largely subsided.
However, both the police and LG Chem said there had been no second leak at the plant.
Police told The NewsMinute on Thursday that the evacuations were a precautionary measure.
“LG Chem has asked the police to evacuate residents as a precautionary measure as there are concerns that tank temperatures would rise,” the company said in a statement to Reuters on Friday. “We are taking necessary measures, including putting water into the tank.”
(With agency inputs)