On May 7th 2020, a deadly gas leak occurred at a LG Corp Polymers plant in Andhra Pradesh, India. The incident, reminiscent of the 1984 Bhopal disaster, has reportedly affected over 1000 people, killed at least twelve and has allegedly damaged the environment. The courageous intervention of local youth, police and members of the National Disaster Response Force, protected the lives of many from potentially worse consequences 

Recent reports state that the company had expanded operations without due consent from State and Central regulatory authorities and had previously been operating illegally and without valid environmental clearance. At the time of the accident, LG Polymers India Private Limited had been allegedly operating as an “essential” industry, despite its products merely being used in the manufacturing of children’s toys. The approval and resumption of LG’s operations, allegedly by the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) and land use planning authorities, has been labelled as a “gross violation of all applicable norms and standards”. Click here to read more.