Insufficient space for green belt around BPCL unit: CPCB

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has submitted a report before the National Green Tribunal stating that the space inside the Propylene Derived Petrochemical Project (PDPP) unit of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) at Ambalamugal for development of 200 There is gross insufficiency. Green-wide-wide belt as assured in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.

The CPCB report was presented before the southern bench on 9 March in a case related to complaints by local residents that the site lacked proper green belts and buffer zones, especially on the southern side (Kakkar Kara).

“There are restrictions such as overhead, high-tension power lines on the southern side of the project site (Kakkad Kara) which may hamper the development of the Green Belt due to security reasons. Further, BPCL officials are highlighting that the safety norms adopted in the petrochemical unit are in conflict with green belt development, which gives rise to the apprehension that the available space complies with the safety distance criteria and the green belt requirement Is insufficient for, “the report states. Presented by S. Suresh, Regional Director of CPCB (South).

The officer inspected the project site on December 29 with officials of the State Pollution Control Board, and held talks with local residents. As per the 12 May 2015 environmental clearance, it is mandatory to develop a green belt on at least 40 acres of land in and around the plant premises to reduce the effects of fugitive emissions around the plant as per CPCB guidelines, it said. .

Company statement

A spokesperson for the company said that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had issued the Environmental Clearance (EC) for the PDPP project only after examining the EIA report, Rapid Risk Analysis (RRA) report and public hearing recommendations.

The EC and EIA report explicitly recommended a 40-acre green belt at and around the project site. The compliance status report of the requirement has been submitted to the Ministry. The regional office of the ministry in Bengaluru has physically verified the status of the approval of the Election Commission. According to the official, the CPCB submitted before the NGT was submitted before the physical verification of the green belt.