Judgment

B.P. Jeevan Reddy, J.-Writ Petition (C) No. 967 of 1989:

This writ petition filed by an environmentalist organisation brings to light the woes of people living in the vicinity of chemical industrial plants in India. It highlights the disregard, nay, contempt for law and lawful authorities on the part of some among the emerging breed of entrepreneurs, taking advantage, as they do, of the country’s need for industrialisation and export earnings. Pursuit of profit has absolute­ly drained them of any feeling for fellow human beings-for that matter, for anything else. And the law seems to have been helpless. Systemic defects? It is such instances which have led many people in this country to believe that disregard of law pays and that the con­sequences of such disregard will never be visited upon them-particular­ly, if they are men with means. Strong words indeed-but nothing less would reflect the deep sense of hurt, the hearing of this case has instilled in us. The facts of the case will bear out these opening remarks.

2. Bichhri is a small village in Udaipur district of Rajasthan. To its north is a major industrial establishment, Hindustan Zinc Limited, a public sector concer