“The LPG Import Terminal at Puthuvype had been designed in accordance with global standards of safety, and the project had all the necessary approvals in place,” said P.S. Mony, Chief General Manager, IndianOil, Kerala.
In an official statement, he pointed out that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in August 2016 had permitted IndianOil to go ahead with the work. However, a small group of people has been obstructing it since February 16 this year.
According to the statement, the NGT vide its order dated April 13, 2017 has reconfirmed its August 2016 order permitting IndianOil to continue with the work. Besides, the High Court of Kerala had permitted lndianOil last year to carry out the work 24 X 7.
“We have also been engaging with all stakeholders on the safety measures at the upcoming terminal, besides the approvals that are in place. During the NGT hearing of 13.4.2017, the agitators had committed to the tribunal that they were not obstructing the work nor would they instigate others to obstruct it. IndianOil has been suffering a loss of close to ₹1 crore per day since February 16, 2017,” it read.
According to him, LPG will be stored in mounded vessels, which are made of 45-mm-thick boiler quality steel plates and buried deeply in sand surrounded by 1.25-metre thick reinforced concrete wall. The mounded vessels are inherently safe, and the phenomenon of BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion) is eliminated due to the global standards of safety being introduced.
A pipeline connecting the import terminal to KRL and LPG bottling plants at Udayamperoor, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Erode, and Salem is also part of the project, which will minimise the movement of bulk LPG tankers through the narrow roads of the State.
Being constructed in the Special Economic Zone notified by the Central government in 2006, the coastal stretch of the project is only 690 metres long, and hence it will not disturb fishing activities.
The project, comprising the import terminal, multi-user liquid terminal, Kochi-Salem pipeline, and the bulk terminal at Palakkad, is being set up a cost of ₹2,200 crore.