Mourning the death of 12 persons in the styrene monomer vapour leak from the South Korean-based chemical plant LG Polymers in Visakhapatnam, various national and international rights groups such as Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI) and Bhopal Group for Information and Action condemned the alleged callous attitude of the company and their efforts to buy over any backlash.
Organising a press conference across cities worldwide through Zoom, they expressed shock over the Chief Minister allegedly giving a clean chit to the company.
Addressing the conference, Jagdish Patel of OEHNI said that the company was established in 1961 at Venkatapuram village in Visakhapatnam and has a long history.
“It was taken over by LG group in 1997, and this unfortunate accident has revealed, that the company has been very lackadaisical in its operation and failed to do even the basic due diligence required to restart the operations during the lockdown,” he said.
He also pointed out that the company’s indifference toward the compliance of the laws of the country is abundantly clear that it has operated for more than two decades without any scrutiny under the environmental legislation.
“We welcome the alacrity with which the National Green Tribunal has reacted to the accident and taken up the issue suo motu. We would like to caution that this should not lead to the dilution of the precautionary principles and corporates assume that polluter can resort to paying of for the crimes perpetrated,” he said.
Rachna Dhingra of Bhopal Group for Information and Action, said that a few hours after the accident the Chief Minister had allegedly called the LG Polymers a ‘good company’.
“The survivors of Vizag must not become the survivors of Bhopal. Every single person affected must be treated with nothing less than dignity and compassion, and provided with the medical care and support they deserve as a minimum, and to the highest possible standards. Legal principles of absolute liability must be brought to bear on those responsible and an international precedent in corporate accountability must be established,” Ms. Rachna said.
According to her, long-term follow up in view of fetotoxicity of styrene and its known impact to cause genetic problems was necessary.
Rights activists from Visakahapatnam, the USA, China, South Korea and other countries participated. One victim was also present at the conference.
