CHENNAI: THE Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday ordered two oil firms belonging to the same group to shut down for illegally building oil storage tanks and laying underground pipelines without statutory clearances.
While passing the orders, the Bench disposed two petitions filed by the NGO Meenavar Nala Sangam against oil storage units of KTV Oil Private Ltd and KTV Health Food Private Ltd, Royapuram, who were accused of running the firms without permission from the Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA) and the TNPCB.
Syed Nurullah Sheriff, counsel for the Union Environment Ministry, confirmed that no environment clearance was granted till date. A tribunal-appointed advocate commissioner confirmed the firm had erected six oil storage tanks and work on one more tank was going on without permission.
The firm was also accused of laying 4.5 km pipeline connecting the storage terminal from the port to transfer the oil. The pipe line was laid in the drainage line without permission, thereby encroaching into the public sewer system and blocking the flow of drainage water and storm water system.