Report on petroleum outlet, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, 27/10/2020
Report filed by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board in the matter of V. B. R. Menon Vs Trichy City Police Office regarding the establishment of new petroleum retail outlet adjacent to several residential buildings and commercial buildings in violation of the siting criteria prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The CPCB had issued guidelines on January 7, 2020 for setting up of new petrol pumps. The CPCB stipulated that in case of siting criteria for petrol pumps, new retail outlets shall not be located within a radial distance of 50 meters (from fill point/dispensing units/vent pipe whichever is nearest) from schools, hospitals and residential areas designated as per local laws. In case of constraints in providing 50 meters distance, the retail outlet shall implement additional safety measures as prescribed by the PESO. In no case, the distance between new retail outlet from schools, hospitals and residential area designated as per local laws shall be less than 30 meters. No high tension line shall pass over the retail outlet.
The site was inspected by the District Environmental Engineer, TNPCB, Trichy on October 24, 2020. The petroleum retail outlet was under operation since September 1, 2020. There are several residence and commercial buildings adjacent to this retail outlet. The report said that the petroleum retail outlet was not complying the siting criteria specified by the CPCB.