Bhubaneswar: The construction of a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) station by GAIL in Kanan Vihar area of Bhubaneswar has been stopped following complaints about its proximity to residential areas.

The Khurda district administration intervened after it was found that GAIL was carrying out the construction without obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC). Khurda Collector Chanchal Rana informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the work was being done illegally, posing a potential threat to the locals.

While GAIL has been directed to stop construction work until further orders, a show-cause notice has been issued to the state-owned energy corporation to explain why legal action should not be taken for proceeding without valid permission. The district administration issued this notice on March 25.

The issue came to light after an 86-year-old resident of the locality, Shukadev Mohanty, filed a petition with the NGT against the construction, arguing that it violated safety norms.

The petition highlights that the station is being built less than five meters from residential buildings, violating Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines. According to these guidelines, fuel stations must maintain a minimum distance of 50 meters from residential areas.

Residents fear the project could endanger lives and property, and demand that such stations be constructed at a safer distance.