The doctrine of strict liability is applicable when the environmental damage results from abnormally dangerous activities. Here even without any element of default, negligence or lapses on the part of the defendant he might be held liable and responsible for any environmental loss whatsoever from his activities undertaken.
The courts have held many common activities to be abnormally dangerous such as storing large quantities inflammable gas cylinders, transmission of high voltage power or electricity, oil well drilling, blasting of hard soils and rocks, pile driving, crop dusting and so on.
Courts also face difficulty in determining when otherwise a common day to day action can be considered to be abnormally dangerous in a specific situation.
For sustaining an environmental damage claim under the aforesaid doctrine of strict liability, the aggrieved party must be able to satisfy that the activity in question is highly risky and abnormally dangerous one.
