The Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) will hold a peaceful demonstration on June 5 in protest against the ‘indifference’ of the LG Polymers management to the deaths caused by a gas leak at its plant in the city on May 7.
CITU will be supported in its protest by people’s organisations across the country, as well as some outfits in other countries, the organisation’s State president Ch. Narasinga Rao said on Thursday.
Addressing a press meet, Mr. Narasinga Rao said that a human chain will be formed by the victims and representatives of CITU and people’s organisations at 10 a.m. from Simhachalam junction to Vepagunta. Protests would also be held in Gujarat, and also in South Korea, Singapore, and Nepal.
Mr. Narasinga Rao demanded that the government announce compensation to Venkayamma and Y. Kanakaraju, who died later in hospital reportedly from the after-effects of inhaling the styrene monomer vapour.
The CITU leader said that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had given two interim judgments on the incident. First, it ordered the company management to deposit ₹50 crore for the damage caused by it. It then appointed another committee to come up with suggestions on preventing accidents in the future.
The LG Polymers plant was seized by the government on the interim orders of the High Court. The committees appointed by the NGT and the High Court found fault with the company management for its negligence. The committees had pointed out, among other things, that the LG plant was being operated without environmental clearance for the past 18 years.
He said that the clearance given to the company by the AP Pollution Control Board in 2017 was the responsibility of the then State Government. The handling of dangerous chemicals, classified under Category A, comes under the purview of the Centre. The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) should also be held responsible for failing to prevent expansion of the plant without necessary clearances and safety checks.
He alleged that in the name of Ease of Doing Business, the Centre and State Governments were failing to strictly implement environmental laws, which was resulting in accidents across the country.