Supreme Court orders Gujarat High Court to identify victims for pesticide plant compensation

The Supreme Court, hearing a petition on the 2022 industrial accident at Bharat Rasayan Ltd's Dahej pesticide plant, ordered the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court to register a suo motu case aimed at identifying the deceased, injured and their families for compensation. The blast, caused by a reactor defect, resulted in eight fatalities and multiple injuries, raising concerns over toxic emissions. The National Green Tribunal had previously levied roughly ₹13.5 crore in environmental damages on the PSU, directing the Gujarat Pollution Control Board to use the sum for remediation within a 10-km radius.

Additionally, about ₹3.27 crore sits with the Supreme Court registry, earmarked for victims but unallocated due to identification challenges. The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, directed that the money be placed in a fixed deposit for another year, to be released once the high court identifies the rightful claimants. Earlier, the court refused to reduce the 5% turnover-based penalty on Bharat Rasayan. The directive seeks to ensure that compensation reaches those impacted by the disaster.