Bhubaneswar: The construction of a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) station in Kanan Vihar area of Bhubaneswar has been stopped by the administration for lack of no objection certificate (NOC).
Sources said the Khurda district administration put a halt to the work after it was found that GAIL was carrying out the construction without obtaining NOC. Accordingly, Khurda Collector Chanchal Rana has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in an affidavit that the work was being done illegally, posing a potential threat to the locals.
GAIL has been asked to stop construction work until further orders and also issued a show-cause notice to explain as to why legal action should not be taken for proceeding without valid permission. The district administration issued this notice on March 25.
The issue came to light after a resident of the locality filed a petition with the NGT against the construction, arguing that it violated safety norms. The petition highlights that the station is being built less than five meters from residential buildings, violating Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines. As per these guidelines, fuel stations must maintain a minimum distance of 50 meters from residential areas.
People in the area are apprehensive that the project could endanger lives and property, and demand that such stations be constructed at a safer distance.
