'Not convincing': NGT rejects PPCB's Giaspura probe, orders fresh inquiry

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, October 17

In a major embarrassment for the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) Chairman-led committee formed to probe the Giaspura gas leak tragedy, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has rejected the findings of its report as “not convincing” and ordered a fresh independent inquiry.

Joint Secy on new panel

Advertisement

• A joint secretary from Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
• Central Pollution Control Board Member Secretary (as nodal agency for coordination)
• One professor with expertise in field to be nominated by IIT-Delhi Director

The eight-member committee, headed by PPCB Chairman Adarsh Pal Vig, had concluded that the “actual causes of the incident were very difficult to establish”. It virtually gave a “clean chit” to the polluting industries, saying “none could be held responsible for the incident”. The 397-page report was submitted to the NGT on October 11 after a five-month inquiry.

The sudden release of very high concentration of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) gas from a roadside manhole in Giaspura on April 30 had claimed 11 lives, including five of a family.

The NGT Principal Bench, headed by chairperson Prakash Shrivastava and comprising judicial member Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil, said the report had attributed the gas leak to the escape of gases from sewer line, which “does not appear to be convincing”.

“A fresh report by an independent committee is required as the issue is very serious. The possibility of repeat cannot be ruled out. Therefore, it’s important to ascertain the real cause of gas leak and to fix responsibility,” the NGT said. The report is to be submitted by January 5, the next date of hearing.

Picking up holes in the PPCB chief-led report, the NGT observed that as per it, “CPCB Regional Director Dr Gurnam Singh stated that due to prolonged deposition of sludge in sewer line near Aarti Clinic, anaerobic condition might have been developed and high concentration of H2S found its way into the two houses through their sewer line connection”. However, the CPCB officers, who inspected the site, concluded that pH level of 2.5-2.6, as reported in main sewer water near the houses where deaths occurred, was a result of acidic industrial effluent discharge. “Further, they have also indicated that industrial discharge was a key factor in release of H2S in high concentration,” it said.