Work on LPG terminal hits a blockade

Puthuvype residents concerned about safety and violation of Coastal Regulation Zone norms

Local residents protesting against the LPG import terminal, proposed by the Indian Oil Corporation in Puthuvype on Thursday.— Photo; Special Arrangement

: Works on the LPG import terminal, proposed by the Indian Oil Corporation in Puthuvype, has hit a blockade with local residents launching a fresh round of agitation against the project citing safety concerns.

According to company officials, a section of local residents are deliberately attempting to stonewall a project, which has received the statutory approvals from all the bodies concerned, including the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

“There were no protests when we set up a road to the project area, constructed its boundary walls and carried out other preliminary works. It is only at this stage that a section of people have come up against the project,” said a top IOC official.

He also pointed to a recent High Court order, directing the Ernakulam District Administration to provide adequate support for completing the project.

The project site turned into a stage for high drama on December 2 with the protestors blocking trucks transporting steel for building the LPG tanks here. Soon, the police rushed to the spot but the stand off continued for several hours till the protestors were forcibly removed from the spot.

The protestors, on the other hand, maintain that the terminal posed a threat to the residential areas in Vypeen island - one of the thickly populated areas in the country. Further, it was being initiated without an approval from the Elamkunnapuzha panchayat, the concerned local body and in violation to the Coastal Regulation Zone norms.

The police, meanwhile, said adequate security would be given for completing the project. “We have been informed that the works will resume from Friday and in view of a volatile situation, enough policemen will be deployed,” said C.R. Raju, Circle Inspector of Police, Njarakkal.

The project, coming up at an area of 15 hectares, was mooted in 2009 to end the road transport of LPG from Mangalore. Kerala, with a consumer base of around 80,000, requires about 6.5 lakh tonnes of cooking gas annually.

Indian Oil Corporation was awarded the project on a nomination basis in March 2013 and a concession agreement was signed in April 4, 2015. On completion, it will have a capacity to handle around six lakh tonnes of LPG annually. In addition to cooking gas, the proposed terminal will handle bunkers and liquids under the supervision of the Port Trust.