'All fuel stations in city equipped with vapour recovery systems'

New Delhi: A recent RTI reply revealed that all 392 fuel stations in Delhi are equipped with vapour recovery systems , as mandated by the National Green Tribunal ( NGT ) in 2018. A vapour recovery system installed at petrol pumps and other facilities helps in capturing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as benzene, that are released during the loading and unloading of fuels.

NGT earlier observed that the Central Pollution Control Board issued directions under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to the petroleum companies for the installation of Stage-I and Stage-II vapour recovery systems in petrol refilling stations located in cities with a population of more than a million.

Advocate Aditya Prasad, who had filed a plea in the NGT for the installation of vapour recovery systems, recently filed an RTI to enquire about their status. The replies from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Indian Oil Corporation Limited stated that they installed the system at all retail outlets for vehicle refuelling and also for underground vehicle refuelling.

Prasad said, "It is a step in the right direction. The implementation of the NGT's order by oil marketing companies is appreciated."

Rajeev Jain, who is part of the Delhi Petrol Dealer Association, said the vapour recovery system was installed at retail outlets in Delhi a few years ago. "According to the directions of the company, these systems are regularly maintained. If there is any issue with the nozzle of the system, the fuel stations are not allowed to make any sale till it is fixed by the technician," said Jain.

Activist Bhavreen Kandhari said the installation of vapour recovery systems across all 392 fuel stations in Delhi is a landmark move, one that plugs a key VOC leak at the source. "However, the real test lies in performance; if these systems aren't maintained, calibrated and audited rigorously. Their potential to cut benzene emissions , ozone precursors and health risks may remain only on paper," said Kandhari.

The plea filed in NGT had stated that during the transfer of petroleum products, VOCs are released, which causes large numbers of molecules to evaporate or sublimate from the liquid or solid form of the compound and enter the surrounding atmosphere. Petroleum products contain traces of benzene, toluene, and xylene.