IOC served show-cause notice under EPA provisions
06 Nov 2009
The Rajasthan State Pollution Control board has served a show-cause notice on IOC, asking why legal action should not be initiated against it for the fire in its depot which blazed for a week causing huge damages, loss of life and pollution.
According to official sources the notice has been issued under the Environment Protection Act.
The fire which broke out on 29 October at the IOC depot at Sitapura has left 12 people dead.
The sources say the public sector oil company had failed to follow the provisions of the EPA and had not sought the permission of the state PCB for approval of the site plan. The company has therefore been asked why legal action should not be taken against it, they add.
A case could be filed in the district court with IOC being asked to reply to the PCB within a week, the say.
Meanwhile the supply of electricity has been restored to most affected areas and people have started returning home as life limps back to normal in the state capital from Thursday. However, the fire has not yet completely died down and one of the 11 tanks is still ablaze.