Green tribunal closes Harda blast death claims, says SC formula met & exceeded

Bhopal: A couple of days before the second anniversary of the devastating blast at an illegal firecracker factory in Harda town, the Central Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) was informed on Wednesday that compensation has been paid according to guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court to the families of all 13 victims who lost their lives in the incident.State government counsel Prashant M Harne told the tribunal that each bereaved family has received Rs 21.50 lakh, an amount higher than the compensation calculated under the Supreme Court's guidelines laid down in the Sarla Verma case. The tribunal noted that since a higher amount had already been paid, it would not interfere further in the matter.During the hearing, the additional district magistrate (ADM), Harda, informed the tribunal that over Rs 23 lakh is still pending to be paid to 33 families whose houses were damaged in the blast. He assured the court that the remaining amount would be released soon using available administrative resources.Following these submissions, the tribunal decided to dispose of the suo motu petition related to compensation for the 13 deaths and damage to 33 houses. However, it chose to continue hearing the petition concerning compensation for those injured in the incident.The tribunal, comprising judicial member Sheo Kumar Singh and expert member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi, observed that a "reasonable amount" had already been paid in death cases. It clarified that any aggrieved party seeking higher compensation may approach the appropriate forum with supporting evidence such as income and relevant documents.Counsel for the intervener, Avani Bansal, argued that an interim application regarding the exact compensation amount under the Sarla Verma formula was still pending. The tribunal responded that since a reasonable amount had been paid and all parties agreed, the issue of death compensation stands finally settled.The tribunal also took note of representations made by three women from Harda who appeared during the hearing and sought payment for repairs to their damaged houses. After the state admitted that Rs 23.24 lakh remains unpaid and the ADM assured early payment, the tribunal disposed of the case related to house damage compensation as well.The tribunal stated that issues related to compensation for grievous and simple injuries are still pending. The state government has been directed to submit detailed charts showing amounts paid and pending, with support from the district administration, at the next hearing scheduled for Feb 12.