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PESHAWAR:
A constitutional petition has been filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) challenging the operation of an oil depot in Taro Jabba, Nowshera, citing serious risks to the lives of schoolchildren.
The petition names the federal and provincial governments, the Chairman of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), and other relevant authorities as respondents. It has been filed by Tehsil Chairman Gohar Ali and Village Council Chairman Taimur Iqbal.
According to the petition, oil depots belonging to Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and other private companies are located in the Taro Jabba area of Pabbi, adjacent to a government high school. It states that large oil tankers filled with petroleum products routinely park up to the school gate along the GT Road, posing a constant threat of a major accident due to the depot’s proximity to a residential area.
The petition further alleges that the oil depot lacks mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the district administration and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It adds that the presence of the depot has led to the spread of diseases in the area and that several incidents have already occurred in the past.
Emphasizing that the depot’s location near the school poses a severe danger to children’s lives, the petitioners have requested the court to declare the oil depot hazardous and order its relocation to an alternative site in the interest of public safety.
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