GPCB issues notice to IOC over Mini river fire
Ahmedabad   03-Nov-2011

IndianOil (IOC), India’s largest fuel retailer, is staring at a winter of discomfort with the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) taking serious exception to the company allegedly using the 200 m stretch of the Mini river near Vadodara for discharging its refinery effluents.

GPCB on Tuesday issued notices to IOC’s Gujarat refinery asking why it should not close down some of its operations in the refinery, which is leading to oil sludge discharge into the river. It has asked IOC to clear all the oil sludge accumulated on the river bed within 15 days or else face more stringent action that includes even complete closure. Huge flames leaping out of the Mini river triggered a scare in the region on Monday and Tuesday.

“IOC has been using this river stretch to discharge effluents in an unauthorized way for some months now. They are supposed to take our permission under the Water Act, 1974,” GPCB member-secretary Hardik Shah told TOI.

IOC has also been asked to immediately stop the discharge into the river, comply with the consent conditions under the Water Act and undertake remediation of the polluted site. The remediation measures include clearing the sludge as well as bio-remedification of the oil waste, which is expected to cost the oil refiner in lakhs. IOC has been instructed to lift all the oil sludge from the river, store it properly in its premise and dispose off safely later. It must also to provide online total organic carbon (TOC) meter on discharged effluent. Sources said that by cracking the whip on IOC, the GPCB wants to send out a message that they don’t differentiate between small and big firms as far as handling pollutants is concerned. Gujarat Refinery spokesperson said, “We have received a notice from the regional office and we will reply duly to all the notices .” GPCB officials had to work tirelessly even on holidays to establish the actual source of the fire and convince IOC officials, who were reluctant to accept that it was the oil sludge from their refinery.

‘Oily Mini river harming livestock, health’

Vadodara: IndianOil sought to reduce their culpability by telling the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) that villagers used its effluent (discharged into Mini river) for irrigation but the ground reality is different. Those having fields along Mini river said that the oil sludge had been causing a lot of damage to their fields and livestock. Farmers staying in nearby villages said that the oil sludge was not only damaging their crop but also affecting the health of their cattle. “Our buffaloes wallow in the river water to cool themselves but sludge sticks to their skins and it becomes really difficult to remove it. At times, their skin comes off while washing them up,” said Manguben Gohil, a resident of Amrapur village that is located near the spot where the river caught fire.