The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed an 8-member fact-finding committee to investigate the recent gas leak in Ludhiana, Punjab. The committee, which includes officials from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Punjab Pollution Control Board, and the Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, will be headed by the chairman of the Punjab Pollution Board. The State Pollution Control Board will coordinate and implement the orders in the entire matter. The committee will meet every week and will complete the investigation in a month and submit its report.
NGT has also announced compensation of Rs 20 lakh each to the dependents of the deceased. The injured will be compensated on the basis of injury. The NGT has emphasized that if the culprit is not found in this case, then the government will have to pay this amount to the victims, and it can be recovered from the accused if found guilty.
The NGT's primary focus will be on determining the level of poisonous gas in the air in the 5 km area and investigating the root cause of the leak. The committee will also talk to the local people about the incident. The next hearing of the case will be on July 13.
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The gas leak occurred on April 30 in the Gyaspura area of Ludhiana, and 11 people lost their lives. The administration suspected that the poisonous gas leaked from the sewerage line passing through the area. The NDRF team collected samples from the manhole, and hydrogen sulphide gas was found, which is believed to be the cause of the deaths.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed to investigate the incident, and the technical team of Punjab Pollution Control Board is auditing the waste of all the factories in the area. The incident has received condolences from top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The incident of the gas leak has highlighted the potential dangers faced by Ludhiana residents as chemical-rich waste is flowing in the rain drains of the corporation, which is affecting more than 250 residential areas. These chemicals mix with Budha Nala, posing a threat to the population of around 5 lakh people living in the area.