Vizag gas leak: SC refuses to interfere with NGT order directing LG Polymers to deposit Rs 50 cr

A supreme court bench headed by Justice Uday Umesh Lalit refused to interfere with a National Green Tribunal order demanding LG Polymers to deposit Rs 50 crores for damage caused by a gas leak in Visakhapatnam.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to immediately interfere with a National Green Tribunal order directing LG Polymers to deposit Rs 50 crores for damage caused by a gas leak in Visakhapatnam, in which at least 12 people were killed.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, refused to pass any immediate interference to the National Green Tribunal order while hearing a petition filed by the LG Polymers challenging the order of the NGT.

We can't interfere at this stage as the matter is seized of by the NGT, the court said.

LG Polymers had raised questions before the apex court over setting up of several committees by the High Court, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Central government into the gas leakage incident of May 7.

The top court said that the matter can be raised before the NGT on June 1 and kept it pending for consideration on June 8.

The NGT had earlier directed LG Polymers to deposit a sum of around Rs 50 crores for the damages caused by the gas leak in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam.

The tribunal had also directed setting up of a 5-member committee headed by former Andhra Pradesh High Court judge B Seshasayana Reddy to visit and inspect the site at the earliest and give its report before the next date of hearing in the matter.

At least 12 people had lost their lives and hundreds were admitted to hospitals after styrene gas leak took place at LG Polymers industry in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam on the morning of May 7.

ANI Report