The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed an environment compensation of ₹2 crore on Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) Kochi Refinery for the “unscientific green belt” developed around its Propylene Derivative Petrochemical Project (PDDP) unit.
The Bench comprising Justice K. Ramakrishnan and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati issued an order asking the management to remit the money to the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) within two months. The board should use the money to increase the green cover around the factory and nearby residential areas.
The tribunal issued the directive disposing of a petition alleging air and noise pollution owing to failure on the part of the company to follow environmental norms. It asked the company to maintain the green belt along the boundaries as far as possible and plant species that would not cause impediments to safety measures for the existing plants as per guidelines issued by various departments.
The board has to suggest methodologies to avoid sound pollution. The regulating authorities have to take appropriate action against BPCL Kochi Refinery for non-compliance with conditions under environmental clearance and other permissions granted by the authorities.
Reacting to the tribunal’s order, the company authorities said that they had developed green belt on the refinery premises as guided by the conditions under environment clearance and those issued by statutory bodies.
“The total available green belt area is 315.6 acres, which is more than the requirement of 305.1 acres. We are in the process of increasing the density of the existing green belt as part of our green initiatives,” said an official communication.
