City Kemp News
The proposed Shell Petrol Pump outside the Raheja Residency apartments main gate in Koramangala seems to have more lives than that of the proverbial cat.
Residents had heaved a sigh of relief three years ago when BBMP categorically wrote to Shell saying that no plan had been approved for construction on the site.
Shell however has now filed a Writ Petition before the Karnataka High court seeking a direction to the BBMP to issue a sanctioned plan.
The petition accuses BBMP town planning of deliberately holding up sanction of the plan inspite of all other approvals being in place.
However documents with the residents show that all NOCs obtained from Police, Fire and Explosives departments are now past their validity period and need renewal.
Residents are petitioning all Government departments to deny clearances to the project.
The residents object to it on several grounds:
l Site No. 12/2, Koramangala Industrial Layout is a “residential site” as per BDA’s CDP 2015 where construction of a petrol pump is not allowed. This is as per the revisions to the BDA RMP 2015 gazetted in 2015.
l Form XII (Petroleum Rules, 1976) of PESO stipulates the following regarding site: “The site plan must show the proposed premises and details of all the structures like roads, road-directions, residential area, other buildings, structures, adjoining properties, name of the adjoining factories, approach road, the distances from the km stone, road junction etc. confined within 100 meters radius on all sides around the proposed premises, as per scale. Specific clearance observed by the proposed premises with regards to the nearest building and any open source of fire or overhead electric line coming within the 100 meters radius should be clearly indicated.”
lThe site plan submitted by Shell to PESO under Form XII (Petroleum Rules), based on which they issued the Certificate of Prior Approval dated 16-05-2012, does not provide any of the above-mentioned details. They simply state “BUILDING” on North, West and South side and “PARK” on the East side of the proposed premises, within a 100 meter radius, thus misrepresenting facts.
l For instance, the location of the site is only around 70 meters from a major four way traffic junction and signal on the very busy 80 ft. Peripheral Road in Koramangala. This vital information wasomitted in the “Location Plan of Properties within a Radius of 100 meters” submitted by Shell to PESO under Form XII (Petroleum Rules).
l This traffic junction where 7th Cross Road meets the 80 ft. Peripheral Road was already very congested and the recently introduced one-way traffic system on Hosur Road has only increased the traffic density further. A new petrol pump on 7th Cross Road, just 70 meters away from the junction,will only add to the existing traffic chaos in the area, and make it worse.
l The proposed petrol pump site is located in a crowded residential zone, “adjoining” the Raheja Residency apartment complex, where over 3,000 people live in 822 apartments. A common wall separates the two sites and the nearest building in the Raheja Residency complex, as well as the basement car park with over 600 cars, is less than 30 metres from the proposed site. Such a petrol pump could significantly increase the fire risk to the residential buildings, and more particularly to the cars parked in the basement, if an explosion were to take place, considering the close proximity of the site.
l The fact that a densely populated residential area is situated on the North side of the site was also omitted in the “Location Plan of Properties within a Radius of 100 meters” submitted by Shell to PESO under Form XII (Petroleum Rules).
lFurther, there is no 6 metre wide road separating the two sites, as misrepresented by Shell while obtaining the NOC from the Karnataka Fire & Emergency Services dated 23-06-2012.
l The proposed site No. 12/2 is located on 7th Cross Road, Koramangala 3rd Block (and not on the main Sarjapur Road). This is a narrow “internal road” within a fully developed residential area. This road is already highly congested with long traffic queues and traffic jams, which is a challenge even for the traffic police to manage during all times and especially during the peak hours.
l The “actual” width of the road in front of the proposed petrol pump is only 31 feet, even though 7th Cross Road is classified as a 60 feet road in the records.
l There are over 20 school & BMTC buses which stop every morning and afternoon right near the proposed petrol pump and in front of Raheja Residency gate.
l It is completely evident that this new petrol station will only worsen the traffic congestion in Koramanagala 3rd and 4th Blocks, apart from creating chaos as well as adding to the noise and air pollution affecting the residents in the locality.
l Not only do the residents and pedestrians have to manoeuvre the treacherous footpaths and risk their lives by walking on the roads, they would now have to manoeuvre the extreme risk of vehicles going in and out of the petrol pump.
l Such a petrol pump will be a potential Health & Safety hazard (petrol/diesel fumes, fire, explosion, etc.) for the residents in the immediate vicinity, in particular for those who live in the Raheja Residency complex, just 30 metres away.
l It is also likely to contaminate the ground water in the area, if a leak were to take place, as happened recently in Chennai.
l There are currently 5-6 petrol pumps within a short distance from the proposed Shell petrol pump in Koramangala.
lTherefore, in our opinion, there is no need for an additional petrol pump, that too located in a narrow, congested internal road within a crowded residential area, just 70 metres away from a very busy traffic junction.
