Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding explosion in a pharma company, Valsad, Gujarat, 15/03/2023
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of In re: news item in NDTV dated 28.02.2023 titled “2 Dead, 2 Injured in Explosion at Gujarat Pharma Company” dated 15/03/2023.
The court was informed that the total amount paid by the project proponent (Ven Petrochem & Pharma India) to the victims was Rs 10 lakhs to heirs of each of the deceased. This amount the court said was neither adequate as per provisions of the Workmen Compensation Act nor as per scale of minimum compensation awarded by the NGT in many of the cases.
Thus, the NGT directed the project proponent to pay a further amount of Rs 10 lakhs to heirs of each of the deceased and Rs 10 lakhs be paid to each of the injured. In addition the authorities have been asked to ensure compliance of safety protocols in the light of a report of the joint committee constituted for the purpose.
"This requires ascertaining precise cause of the incident and measures required to be adopted to prevent such incidents in future. Status of compliance of Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989 has not been verified," the NGT order read.
And for this purpose, the tribunal directed the constitution of a joint committee. The committee will undertake a visit to the site, ascertain the cause of the incident and suggest measures to be adopted in future to prevent such incidents.