Navi Mumbai: The Licence Department of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has issued notices to all petrol pump owners to set up toilets on the premises.
A civic official said the notice is in line with the Swachh Bharat Mission directives and the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Petroleum, which say that all petrol pumps have to provide toilet and drinking water facilities to citizens.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Solid waste Management and Tree Authority) Tushar Pawar, who is also in charge of the Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan in the NMMC, said, “We have issued notices to petrol pumps owners to provide toilet and water facilities to all citizens, irrespective of whether they have come to refuel their vehicles or not. ”
He said the notices give the owners of the 29 petrol pumps enough time to introduce the facilities and put up signboards informing people about them. “From next week, we will start inspecting all petrol pumps,” Mr. Pawar said.
‘Not acceptable’
However, the NMMC’s directions have not gone down well with petrol pump owners.
Uday Lodh, president of the Federation of All Maharashtra Petrol Dealers Association, said, “We are service providers and do not run community toilets. Motorists coming to petrol pumps to fill fuel are provided these facilities. However, compelling us to allow other citizens to use the toilet is not acceptable.”
He said that the rules had been made without considering safety regulations, given that fuel sold at the petrol pumps is highly inflammable. “If a common citizen walks in to use the toilet and smokes a cigarette, and if any unfortunate incident occurs, who will be held responsible?” he asked.
