Petrol bunk canopies being inspected after accident in Saidapet outlet last month
The Hindu
IOCL has begun checking canopies of fuel outlets installed before 2018 following a fatal accident due to waterlogging. 3 canopies have been removed and repairs are being done. Checks include signs of rust, stability and damage. IOCL has also employed an agency to clean canopies. Dealer hopes regular checks will be held and action taken on officials responsible.
Following the recent accident at a petrol bunk in Saidapet here, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) has begun checking canopies (roofs) that were installed before 2018. One person was killed when the canopy of Aswini Oil Agency, a fuel outlet on East Jones Road, came crashing down in September during the heavy rain because of waterlogging on its roof.
“The checks are being conducted at retail fuel outlets across the country. We are checking factors such as signs of rust, stability, and damage, including the possibility of leaks. Canopies that are damaged are being removed too. Three such canopies in the city have been removed and some repairs are also being carried out wherever necessary,” said a senior official of IOCL.
Canopies in fuel outlets are made of tin sheets and aluminium and aren’t very heavy. They are fixed on concrete pillars. Rainwater that falls on the canopies drains through chutes and pipes to rainwater harvesting facilities. However, at the bunk at Saidapet, the chutes had become clogged with dry leaves and garbage.
IOCL has also employed an agency to regularly clean canopies of bunks whose land it takes on lease. Fuel outlets are of two types – A-site and B-site. A-Sites’ land is leased to the oil company, and it invests in the infrastructure, while for a B-site outlet, the land is owned or leased out by the dealer and pump. The fuel tanks are provided by the company. There are also fuel outlets that are completely owned and operated by the companies.
A dealer said if only these checks had been done regularly, the accident could have been prevented. “Hopefully, they will take it seriously this time and regular checks will be held. They concentrate only on penalising bunk owners. In this case, we don’t know if any action has been initiated on the officials who were indirectly responsible for the incident,” he added.
The Opposition Congress demanded that the government open the Gandhi Vatika Museum, depicting Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and freedom struggle, built at a cost of ₹85 crore in Jaipur’s Central Park last year, during the Congress-led regime in Rajasthan. The museum has not been opened to the public, reportedly because of the administration’s engagements with the State Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Almaya Munnettam (Lay People to the Fore), group in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church opposed to the synod-recommended Mass, rejected a circular issued by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and apostolic administrator Bosco Puthur on June 9 to implement the unified Mass in the archdiocese from July 3.
Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stated that “not so great decision making” contributed to his side’s defeat to India in the Group-A T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday. The batting unit came apart in the chase, after being well placed at 72 for two. With 48 runs needed from eight overs, Pakistan found a way to panic and lose. “Maybe not so great decision making,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference, when asked to explain the loss.