Petroleum dealers have urged the State government, oil companies and other agencies to follow the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) 12-2009 guidelines strictly while giving clearance to new fuel outlets. Oil majors have started issuing letters of intent to dealers for new retail outlets. Tenders had been called for around 5,000 new locations as part of a national move to strengthen outlet numbers and ensure supply. The State already has around 4,800 fuel outlets.
Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association president K.P. Murali said the courts had also directed the various governments to implement the IRC guidelines while new outlets are being sanctioned.
“Outlets must be at least 100 metres from intersections. They also should not be too close to existing outlets, a minimum distance of 1,000 metres is a must on the plains and 300 metres in the hills. This has also been drawn up keeping the safety of motorists and surrounding installations since the outlets deal with inflammable goods,” he said.
“They keep insisting that we follow various rules and threaten us with fines and strictures under the marketing discipline guidelines. A couple of years ago, they used to breathe down our necks, asking us to ensure clean toilets and also allow highway travellers to use these facilities. We don’t mind providing basic facilities. Companies too should follow rules when new outlets come up,” said a dealer, who has been in the business for over 40 years.
In the last six months, residents of Kasimedu and Royapettah protested against the setting up of auto liquefied petroleum gas outlets stating that they posed fire hazards. There have also been instances of leakage from petroleum outlets in residential areas. And it got mixed with groundwater.
A retired oil company official said in recent times, dealers and oil companies took better care of underground tank facilities.
