Five years after the death of a Presidency University student due to a gas leak, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday directed the Greater Calcutta Gas Supply Corporation Limited to compensate the family by paying ₹64 lakh.
A Bench headed by NGT judicial member S.P. Wangdi held that the facts and evidence produced pointed to the company “being culpable for causing the death” of the student.
“The preponderance of evidence unerringly leads to a reasonable conclusion that the death of the deceased, Sumantika Banerjee, took place on account of severe pollution caused by the leakage in the old pipeline of the [GCGSCL], through which coal gas was being supplied to consumers,” the Tribunal observed.
The Bench, also comprising expert member S.S. Garbyal, added, “The crack from where the gas ad leaked, as per the investigation conducted by the police, was on account of wear and tear signifying negligence on the part of the respondent [GCGSCL] in maintaining the pipeline in good order.”
The green panel was hearing a plea moved by Debasish Banerjee, resident of the Jalpaiguri district, who alleged that his daughter, a M.Sc first year student at Presidency University, was found dead in her paying guest accommodation.
“The source of the gas inside the room which the FSL experts had deteccted was traced to a crack in the pipeline of the GCGSCL laid underground just behind the window of the room where the deceased had died,” the Bench noted.
While directing compensation to the family, the Tribunal said that if the payment was not made within one month, the GCGSCL would be liable to pay a 12 per cent interest on the amount till the family was compensated.
