LPG cylinder biz in public places goes unabated – Hindustan Times

Mumbai: The Mumbai North Central District Forum (MNCDF), a citizen welfare forum, has been reaching out to the BMC time and again to get it to act on the menace of LPG gas distributors operating out of trucks in open spaces. A common sight in the Poisar Gymkhana area of Kandivali and Sai Baba Nagar of Borivali West for the last one year, the activity is not just illegal but dangerous as well.

The LPG cylinders are directly distributed from trucks which are parked outside a public garden, with residential buildings and a school nearby. Wary about a backlash from the distributors if they complain openly, locals have often reached out to MNCDF anonymously.

When HT visited the spot at Poisar Gymkhana in Kandivali, it found three trucks filled with LPG cylinders. Workers were seen offloading the cylinders to distribute them in the nearby areas on cycle. HT found similar trucks stored with a huge quantity of cylinders in Malad West and Jogeshwari East as well.

Advocate Trivankumar Karnani, the founder of MNCDF, told HT that the forum had tweeted about the issue umpteen times in the past. “In February 2021, the then mayor Kishori Pednekar responded to us and instructed the BMC to act,” he said. “After that, the then deputy mayor, along with the BMC and police, reached the site, confiscated 12 cylinders and got all these trucks removed from the area. Which clearly means that the business is illegal.”

However, the trucks were soon back and resumed their business, said Karnani. “This is a residential area and storing so many cylinders is a disaster waiting to happen,” he said. “We have seen news reports of gas cylinder trucks blasting at night in Mira Road. That could happen here too.”

Lalit Talekar, assistant municipal commissioner of R South ward, said that he had not received any complaints from residents. “However, I will immediately instruct the license department to conduct an investigation and get the trucks removed from the area if they are operating illegally,” he said. “The traffic police can also take action against them and get them removed.”

A senior official from BMC explained that the trucks were not allowed to operate from a public space. “They can use it for loading and off-loading but they cannot conduct business from there,” he said. “Special permission needs to be taken to even park these trucks in a private property or in public places. The BMC can confiscate the cylinders if they are found to be full. The fire brigade and police are also empowered to take action in the matter.”

A resident of Sai Baba Nagar near Poisar said the trucks were parked there day and night. “The Poisar gymkhana is a huge public area—hundreds of people come to walk here and there are so many residential buildings as well,” she said. “These trucks are a fire hazard. It looks like the distributors save a lot of money by not renting a godown for this business and operating like this.”