Lok Sabha Question No. 312 (STARRED), answered on 2023-08-10
Subject: Vapour Recovery System
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Hasnain Masoodi

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 312 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 th AUGUST, 2023

## Vapour Recovery System

## *312 .  SHRI HASNAIN MASOODI:

## पेोलयम और ाक ृतक गैस मंी

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the air pollution caused by the petrol vapour containing volatile compound benzene released from vehicles/tanks during refueling;
- (b) if so, the details and the total number of Vapour Recovery System installed at the petrol pumps, State-wise including Jammu & Kashmir;
- (c) whether  environmental  compensation  has  been  levied  against  the  defaulter  oil companies failing to install Vapour Recovery Systems with the sale potential of 100 kilolitre per month; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## पेोलयम और ाक ृ तक गैस मंी ( ी हरदप संह पुर ) MINISTER OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI HARDEEP SINGH PURI)

(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  312  BY  SHRI  HASNAIN  MASOODI  TO  BE ANSWERED  ON  10TH  AUGUST,  2023  REGARDING  'VAPOUR  RECOVERY SYSTEM'

- (a) to (d) Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has assessed that Petrol Pumps are a major source  of  Benzene  emission  (a  carcinogenic  compound)  and  other  VOC  (Volatile Organic Compound) emission, which can lead to formation of secondary particulates and ground level ozone. National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed Oil Marketing Companies  (OMCs) to  install  Vapour  Recovery  System  (VRS)  at  all  Retail  Outlets (Petrol Pumps) located in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR). OMCs have since installed VRS at all Retail outlets in Delhi -NCR as per the directions of the Hon'ble NGT  and  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court.  Further,  CPCB  issued  directions  to  OMCs  for installation  of  VRS  at all  existing  Retail  Outlets  (except  Delhi  -NCR) selling  Motor Spirit (MS) more than 100 KL per month and located in million plus cities, and retail outlets  selling  more  than  300KL  per  month  and  located  in  cities  with  population between 01 lakh to 1 million. Accordingly, PSU OMCs have initiated action as per the directions of NGT/CPCB.

The State-wise  number of  PSU OMC Retail  outlets having  Vapour recovery system as on 01.07.2023, including UT of Jammu & Kashmir is attached as annexure.

CPCB levied Environmental Compensation of Rs. One Crore each on PSU OMCs on account  of  non-compliance  of  timelines  of  VRS  installation  for  Delhi  directed  by Hon'ble NGT. However, the Environmental Compensation amount was refunded by CPCB as the timelines were extended by the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

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Annexure Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha starred question No. 312 asked by Shri Hasnain Masoodi for answer on 10.08.2023 regarding 'Vapour Recovery System'

| S.No.   | State/UT                      |   Number of Petrol Pumps of PSU OMCs having VRS as on 01.07.2023 |
|---------|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1       | Andaman &Nicobar              |                                                                3 |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh                |                                                               69 |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh             |                                                                0 |
| 4       | Assam                         |                                                                7 |
| 5       | Bihar                         |                                                               35 |
| 6       | Chandigarh                    |                                                               28 |
| 7       | Chhattisgarh                  |                                                               38 |
| 8       | Daman Diu &Dadra Nagar Haveli |                                                                0 |
| 9       | Delhi                         |                                                              392 |
| 10      | Goa                           |                                                               12 |
| 11      | Gujarat                       |                                                              342 |
| 12      | Himachal Pradesh              |                                                                0 |
| 13      | Haryana                       |                                                             1828 |
| 14      | Jammu &Kashmir                |                                                               27 |
| 15      | Jharkhand                     |                                                               33 |
| 16      | Karnataka                     |                                                              410 |
| 17      | Kerala                        |                                                               35 |
| 18      | Lakshadweep                   |                                                                0 |
| 19      | Ladakh                        |                                                                0 |
| 20      | Maharashtra                   |                                                              614 |
| 21      | Meghalaya                     |                                                                3 |
| 22      | Manipur                       |                                                                1 |
| 23      | Madhya Pradesh                |                                                              151 |
| 24      | Mizoram                       |                                                                1 |
| 25      | Nagaland                      |                                                                0 |
| 26      | Odisha                        |                                                               13 |
| 27      | Punjab                        |                                                               55 |
| 28      | Puducherry                    |                                                                2 |
| 29      | Rajasthan                     |                                                              579 |
| 30      | Sikkim                        |                                                                0 |
| 31      | Telangana                     |                                                              244 |
| 32      | Tamil Nadu                    |                                                              349 |
| 33      | Tripura                       |                                                                3 |
| 34      | Uttar Pradesh                 |                                                              981 |
| 35      | Uttrakhand                    |                                                                3 |
| 36      | West Bengal                   |                                                               64 |
|         | Total                         |                                                             6322 |

Source: Oil Marketing Companies