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Locals protest planned CNG station near Sector 53 condo in Gurugram
The distance of the proposed site from the residential complex is around 25 metres which will pose serious safety hazards such as fire, and explosion, said residents.
Residents of Parsvnath Exotica, a group housing society in Sector 53, Golf Course Road, Gurugram, held a silent protest on Sunday morning to protest against the proposed construction of a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) adjacent to their condominium.
Exotica Condominium Owners Association (ECOA), which spearheaded the protest held by around 150 residents, said that the distance of the proposed site from the residential complex is around 25 metres which will pose serious safety hazards such as fire, and explosion and also impact the local environment as a large number grown up trees have come up over the proposed site.
Ashok Singhal, president of ECOA said that setting up a CNG station close to a densely populated residential complex is highly questionable. “Through this protest, we urge the authorities to reconsider the site in the interest of community well-being. We are not against development but it should not come up at the cost of human safety and environment,” said Singhal.
According to Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) statutory guidelines, the minimum distance between a CNG station’s gas storage units and a residential complex varies by storage capacity: at least 2.5 metres for up to 4,500 litres, 4 metres for 4,501–10,000 litres, and 10 metres for 10,001–100,000 litres. These distances, mandated under the Gas Cylinder Rules, 2016, help minimise risks to public safety.
However, according to the department of town and country planning, the recommended distance for a CNG pump from a residential area is generally 50 metres (164 feet). This distance is specified to ensure safety and minimize potential risks associated with the storage and dispensing of CNG.
As per the norms of the department of town and country planning, the plot for a CNG station should be connected to a main road. Preference is given to locations near existing or proposed natural gas pipelines, and location should follow the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) norms for road junctions and other fuel stations. In Haryana, the construction of CNG stations near residential areas is governed by specific regulations outlined in the “Draft Policy on CNG/PNG Stations” by the town and country planning department Haryana, emphasise site distances, plot size, and safety measures.
The protesters said that the site of CNG station is flanked by South Point Mall, IBIS Hotel, Exotica Apartments, Paras Down Office, Augusta Point, Central Plaza Mall, all side by side. “The proposed site for CNG station also has 60 fully grown trees and these will be required to be cut. We have already complained in this matter to the forest department,” said Yash Handa, a resident of the society.
“We appeal to the concerned authorities to reconsider and relocate the proposed pump to a more appropriate site. Residents were neither consulted nor informed about the proposed site,” said Rajnish Magan, secretary, ECOA.
A group of protesters also called upon Badshahpur MLA and state forest minister Rao Narbir Singh, and submitted a memorandum to him in this regard.
A senior HSVP official, when asked about the matter, said that they had not yet received any memorandum of complaint in the matter.
When asked about the matter, a forest department official said, “Our team visited the spot and it seems some pruning had been done. We have issued a challan to the site owners because pruning isn’t allowed during the monsoon. The land is privately owned, and if any tree felling is to be done, it can only be considered after the monsoon ends.”
