(a) Whether incidents of persons falling ill in the villages near vicinity of Bharat Oman Refinery Limited
(BORL) at Bina in Madhya Pradesh due to leakage of harmful gases therefrom have come into light;
(b) If so, the details thereof;
(c) Whether requests for enquiry in this regard have been received by the Government from the public representatives;
(d) If so, the action taken/being taken in this regard; and
(e) the remedial measures being taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SMT. PANABAAKA LAKSHMI)
(a) & (b): Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) has informed that during May,2012 Officers of Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPCCB) had visited Bharat Oman Refinery Limited (BORL) and confirmed from Primary Health Centre and Civil Hospital, BINA that reported illness as seen in the vicinity of the refinery could not be attributed to the refinery operations.
(c) to (e): The representations received from public representative about ill effects of functioning of Bina Refinery on the surrounding environment were taken up with BPCL. BPCL have reported that all the process units in the BORL refinery are based on know-how from the world renowned licensors and built to international standards to limit emissions within the stipulated norms. Emissions from the refinery are continuously monitored through four Ambient Air Monitoring Stations installed in the refinery and air quality data is displayed at the refinery gate for public information. The emissions and air quality observed are within the prescribed standards. The same is also monitored by State Pollution Control Board.
Further, the refinery has procured a mobile van with facility to monitor air quality. The quality of air in the surrounding villages is being regularly monitored and no abnormality has been observed.
It has also been reported by BPCL that the ambient air quality and stack gas emissions are analysed on a regular basis by an external agency approved by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoE&F) and the emissions are reported to be within prescribed limits.