Dehradun, May 28 -- National Green Tribunal (NGT) principal bench New Delhi has directed the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) to independently verify the distance of a proposed petrol pump in Dehradun from a local school and canal before granting any clearances. The Principal Bench, led by chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, disposed of an application challenging the Letter of Intent (LoI) issued by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) for a retail outlet at Village Raipur in Dehradun. The order was delivered on Tuesday The applicant Roshan Joshi in his plea had alleged that the site violates Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) siting criteria due to its proximity to a school, a veterinary hospital, and a canal. The tribunal noted conflicting data regarding the distance between the fuel dispensing unit and Saigrace Academy International School. While a report from the District Poorti Officer placed the school boundary at 40 meters, an inspection by the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) recorded the distance as 36 meters. The order stated that under CPCB guidelines, a minimum radial distance of 50 meters must be maintained from schools, hospitals (10 beds and above), and residential areas. If distances are between 30 and 50 meters, strict additional safety measures prescribed by PESO-such as 2-meter high RCC boundary walls and concrete pits for tanks-must be implemented. No petrol pump can be established within 30 meters of such institutions. The bench clarified that the 50-meter restriction does not apply to the nearby veterinary hospital. The tribunal ruled that the CPCB's specification of "hospitals (10 beds and above)" refers specifically to facilities for human patients, not animals. PESO informed the tribunal that it has not yet accorded approval for the site, citing several "deficiencies" in the documents submitted by IOCL. These include discrepancies in site plans and a lack of detail regarding water bodies within a 50-meter radius. IOCL has assured the court that construction will not begin until all mandatory clearances are obtained. The NGT directed PESO to ensure that the final site plan strictly adheres to the CPCB's environmental safeguards. The order stated, "..we are of the view that the PESO before granting the clearance can consider if the distance criteria prescribed by the CPCB for setting up the petrol pump in reference to the school and canal is complied with. The PESO will independently get the distance of fill point/dispensing units/vent pipe of the proposed petrol pump from the school and canal etc examine and while granting the clearance ensure that the siting criteria prescribed for the retail outlets in the CPCB guidelines is not violated"....