Five-member panel formed to probe Vizag gas leak, will submit report in one month

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday constituted a five-member High-Power Committee to probe into the causes behind the leakage of styrene gas from the LG Polymer plant at RR Venkatapuram in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, which claimed 12 lives, and take stock of the recovery steps being initiated. It will be submitting its final report within one month.

A GO was issued by Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney on Friday constituting the committee and spelling out its terms of reference. The committee will be headed by Neeraj Kumar Prasad, Special Chief Secretary (EFS and T department) and will have Karikal Valaven, Special Chief Secretary (Industries), Vinay Chand (Visakhapatnam district collector), RK Meena (Visakhapatnam Commissioner of Police) as members and Vivek Yadav (Member Secretary, AP Pollution Control Board) as member convenor.

As per the terms of reference, the committee will enquire into the reasons for the leakage, verifying if the company had adhered to all safety protocols. It will study if there are any long-term effects of the gas leakage on the surrounding villages. The committee will recommend the proposed action to be taken against the industrial unit in case of any negligence, that led to gas leakage.

Further, the committee will suggest measures to be taken by industry units, including safety audits, to prevent such mishaps in the future, and in case, there are any observations and suggestions for all similar industrial plants, they will be included in the report.

To ensure quality inputs of the highest standards by experts on the measures to be taken to avoid such incidents in the future, the chairman of the committee has been empowered to co-opt any individual or organization of national and international repute. The APPCB has been directed to provide assistance to the committee in preparing the report.