New Delhi, The National Green Tribunal has dismissed the appeal filed by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited against the imposition of A $A fine of Rs 1 crore for failure to install vapor recovery system at its storage plants.
Vapor recovery system is a process that can stop the release of harmful organic compounds from petroleum products.
The green body was hearing BPCL’s appeal against the imposition of environmental compensation by the Central Pollution Control Board.
The Central Pollution Control Board imposed the fine in November 2024 after BPCL failed to establish a VRS phase IA by the March 2024 deadline.
In an order dated March 25, made public on Thursday, a bench of NGT Chairman Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert members A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad said BPCL had failed to comply with the CPCB’s directions to install VRS Phase 1A at all its stations within the stipulated timeline.
It noted that the Supreme Court had in March 2023 directed the CPCB to comply with NGT directions issued in December 2021 regarding installation of VRS mechanism.
“Hence, the CPCB was bound by the Supreme Court order and was required to ensure installation of the VRS IA phase by March 2024 and, therefore, it is not within the powers of the CPCB to extend the timeline,” the bench said.
It noted that on July 23, 2025, the Board requested compliance with its previous order, and also directed that the operation of the non-compliant plant be shut down if the EC filing was not made within 15 days.
The court said that BPCL had only challenged the CPCB’s July 2025 order, without attacking the original order imposing the fine.
The court stressed that there was no justification for interfering with the July 2025 order and said that the original order issued by the CPCB had come to an end.
“It may also be noted that the original order dated November 11, 2024, was passed by the CPCB after duly complying with the principles of natural justice and issuing a showcause notice to the appellant, to which the appellant also filed reply…” the court said.
It noted the submissions of CPCB counsel, according to which, BPCL also failed to comply with the Board’s directions to submit monthly progress reports on the installation of VRS mechanism, and instead approached it for an extension after the expiry of the March 2024 time limit.
“For specific reasons and in light of the above analysis, we find no reason to interfere with the contested order,” the court said, and rejected the appeal.
However, it allowed BPCL’s plea for a four-week extension to pay the fine.
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