The National Green Tribunal has taken suo motu cognizance of a news item dated December 16, 2024, relating to a gas leak from a drain in Jaipur, Rajasthan, resulting in the hospitalization of 10 students of a coaching institute in the city’s Mahesh Nagar area.
The students complained of difficulty in breathing, severe headaches, and fainted due to the suspected gas leak from the drain.
The NGT has observed that the news item does not disclose that any compensation has been paid to the victims of the gas leak. In a similar case of gas leak, the NGT had awarded compensation to the family members of the victims and the victims of the gas leak.
The NGT has impleaded the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, the Central Pollution Control Board, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the District Magistrate of Jaipur as respondents in the matter.
The tribunal has directed the respondents to file their responses by way of affidavit before the concerned bench of the tribunal at least one week before the next date of hearing.
The Principal Bench, comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson, and Dr. A. Senthil Vel, Expert Member, has also observed that the news item raises substantial issues relating to compliance with the provisions of the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The power of the tribunal to take up the matter suo moto has been recognized by the Supreme Court in the matter of “Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha & Ors.”
As the matter relates to the state of Rajasthan and is within the jurisdiction of the Central Zonal Bench, Bhopal, the registry has been directed to transmit the record of this original application to the Central Zonal Bench, Bhopal for further proceedings.
The matter has been listed before the Central Zonal Bench, Bhopal on February 10, 2025.
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