Justice still elusive for Giaspura victims

Tribune News Service

Harshraj Singh

Ludhiana, April 30

One year after the Giaspura gas tragedy, several environmental activists and residents paid tributes to those who lost their lives in the incident. Remembering the dead is all right, but the fact is that family members of the deceased are still awaiting justice as no one has been held responsible for the tragedy, and no arrest has been made so far.

The incident occurred on the morning of April 30, 2023, resulting in the tragic deaths of 11 persons — including three minors — and injuries to four others, allegedly due to toxic gas inhalation. It was then alleged the gas had emanated from a sewerage chamber, but the actual reason behind the tragedy remains unclear. Residents still remain in shock and unaware of the truth behind this horrible tragedy.

On Tuesday, a group of environment activists and members of a public action committee (PAC) gathered outside the houses where the tragedy had occurred. After paying tributes to the victims, they raised the demand for justice to victims, protection of the environment and necessary measures to avert such incidents in the future.

Col (retd) CM Lakhanpal from the PAC said, “It’s been one year today since the most tragic loss of innocent human lives at Giaspura caused by wilful defaulting by polluters and their government facilitators. We lost 11 innocent children, young and old on the morning of April 30, 2023.”

He continued, “The saddest part of this tragic episode is the undelivered justice to the victims, except for providing limited financial assistance. Even then, the minor survivor of Saurabh Goyal has been paid only Rs 45 lakh instead of his entitlement of Rs 50 lakh. No government officer is able to explain the missing Rs 5 lakh. Large amounts of public money have been wasted on multiple committees without finding anyone responsible for such a heinous crime of pollution and neglecting duties by those responsible for checking the illegal release of chemicals, heavy metals, acids, etc, into the sewage and also responsible for the maintenance of sewer lines.”

Another activist, Mahinder Singh Sekhon, said the green activists gathered today to give ‘shradhanjali’ to the victims of the Giaspura tragedy. They also lit a candle as a symbolic gesture and as an ‘eye-opener’ for the future for residents to remain vigilant living in Mixed Land Use (MLU) areas. Volunteers also interacted with the families of the deceased, other people residing in the area and passersby. They urged the residents that any act causing suspicion must be reported without delay to the authorities.

RS Arora expressed his serious concern about the non-performance in improving living conditions and the non-delivery of justice to the victims and residents for trauma caused by ‘wilful’ acts leading to tragic deaths. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” he added.

Environmental activist Col JS Gill (retd) added that no effort has been made by the Punjab Pollution Control Board, the MC, district administration or any other government department to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. He said it seems the government is waiting for another tragedy to occur, and alleged the probe into the tragedy was not conducted in a transparent manner. He also demanded that greater compensation be paid to those who were injured in the incident.

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