Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of In re: News item published in The Hindu dated 14.03.2021 titled “Safety lapses led to reactor blast at pharma unit” dated 16/03/2021.

The matter related to explosion of 3,000 kg reactor at the production wing of Tyche Industries Limited, on the outskirts of Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh on March 11, 2021, due to lack of safety mechanism and risk assessment failure. Two supervisors were killed and four workers severely injured.

The bench of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Sheo Kumar Singh of the NGT said that it was necessary to ascertain the cause of the incident, the extent of damage caused, the extent of compensation required to be paid for damage to the environment as well as for loss of lives, causing of injuries and steps required to be taken for preventing any such occurrence in future, on the same pattern as the Tribunal has dealt with such accidents in the recent past.

The court directed notice to issued to the :

• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB),
• Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB),
• Directorate of Factories, Andhra Pradesh,
• the District Magistrate, Kakinada and 
• Tyche Industries Limited, Kakinada.

A five member joint committee was directed to be constituted to visit the site and give its report about the cause of the incident, the extent of damage caused, the extent of compensation required to be paid for damage to the environment as well as for loss of lives, injuries and steps required to be taken for preventing any such occurrence in future within a period of one month.