Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Supreme Court on Monday permitted state-run refiner Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd to lay a crude oil pipeline through the Marine National Park in Gujarat for its six million tonne refinery at Bina in Madhya Pradesh.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice B. N. Kirpal said the court’s earlier order banning any activity in national parks and sanctuaries would not be applicable in the case of Bharat Oman Refineries Ltd, which has proposed laying a seven km submarine pipeline from Gulf of Kutch to Vadinar for transportation of crude oil for Bina refinery. The pipeline passes through eco-sensitive marine area.
The Supreme Court order comes as a shot in arm for the Rs 7,513 crore Bina Refinery project which has long been delayed for want of environmental clearance. With this, the stage is now set for beginning of construction work for the refinery, on which BPCL has already spent Rs 250 crore till now. The apex court order came in response to an interim application filed by Bharat Oman Refineries Ltd—BPCL’s special purpose vehicle for construction of Bina Refinery—seeking clarification of February 24, 2000 order of the court banning activity in eco-sensitive areas.
The ministry of environment and forest has already cleared the construction of marine facilities for unloading of crude oil, single point mooring, submarine/onshore pipeline, crude oil terminal and laying of a 943 km crude pipeline from Vadinar in Gujarat to Bina in Madhya Pradesh. Petroleum Minister Ram Naik on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict clearing the construction of the pipeline.
