E-Paper
CNG station set up right next to Mohali school: NGT summons 2 officials
NGT acted on a petition filed by the chairman of Sant Baba Waryam Singh Ji Memorial Public School, Banur, seeking directions to the Mohali deputy commissioner and divisional head, Chandigarh office, IOCL, to shift the CNG station
Taking up a petition seeking relocation of a CNG station that is set up right next to a school in Banur, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has summoned an officer authorised by the Mohali district magistrate and the regional officer, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), to appear before it on January 17, 2023.
The petition was filed by Gurdev Singh, chairman of Sant Baba Waryam Singh Ji Memorial Public School, Banur, seeking directions to the Mohali deputy commissioner and divisional head, Chandigarh office, IOCL, to shift the CNG station, located on the Zirakpur-Rajpura national highway.
According to the plea, as per the guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board, new petrol pumps CNG station cannot be located within 50-metre radius from schools/hospitals.
“The school is more than 20 years old and has around 750 students. One old gurdwara is also situated there. The CNG station runs 24 hours a day and heavy machines/generator/compressor sets installed therein cause huge noise pollution, posing serious health problems to students, staff and devotees,” submitted advocate Sunaina Thamman, counsel for the petitioner.
The plea added that the final exams of the students were around the corner, yet their studies were getting hampered because of the noise created by the CNG stations, which was located in a silence zone.
The huge noise by the station is an underestimated threat that can cause a number of short- and long-term health problems. The excessive noise also interferes with people’s daily activities, especially at school and at work and during leisure time, it said.
The petitioner had earlier also filed a petition before the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Mohali. As per a report received from PPCB, Mohali, thereafter, the noise pollution caused by the CNG station was beyond prescribed limits.
The SDM had thereon passed a conditional order, directing the project proponent to bring the noise level down within the prescribed limit, but no action was taken, the petitioner informed the NGT.
Through a November 9 order, the tribunal had issued notices to the Punjab chief secretary, local bodies’ director, rural development and panchayat department director, health and family welfare department director, PPCB secretary, Mohali deputy commissioner and divisional head, Chandigarh office, IOCL.
However, no one appeared on behalf of the respondents during the hearing on December 15. Taking note of this, the principal bench of NGT ordered personal appearance of an officer duly authorised by the Mohali district magistrate and the PPCB regional officer, physically or through video conferencing, on January 17, 2023, the next date of hearing.
