Kodaikanal mercury poisoning: Response of Hindustan Lever Ltd and State sought

A division bench comprising Justice Vineet Kothari and Justice MS Ramesh, before whom the PIL which was specially ordered to be listed by the Chief Justice came up for hearing, said: “In view of these facts and that the PIL has already been admitted, the respondents are called upon to file their counter to the present PIL and also to the impleading application and to assist the court in deciding the question as to whether HLL can be called upon to pay further compensation as sought for.”

The bench also directed the counsels to file compilation of relevant statutes under which such claims are sustainable and case laws, including the case of Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984, to determine the compensation in such a case, for the perusal of this court before the next date of hearing on December 9.

“The present PIL and compliance part in compensating workmen will be monitored by this court on expeditious basis from the next date onwards,” the bench led by Justice Vineet Kothari said noting that the present PIL involves questions of larger public interest, wherein the leakage of mercury in the thermometer producing unit of HLL which stood closed in 2001 has caused severe health hazards to the public.

The PIL had sought compensation to those workmen who were left out in the earlier settlement process in 2006 and to the public at large who live in and around the affected area of Kodaikanal for the environmental loss and health hazards caused to them owing to the leakage of mercury in the form of poisonous gas, from the manufacturing unit of HLL.