The CNG machine without the second pipe (circled) The machine with the second pipe (circled)Consumer activist and Yari Road resident Mohammad Afzal claims that employees from a local petrol pump have approached him complaining of health problems, which they allege are caused by their exposure to CNG.
Afzal, committee member of Welfare Organisation for Road Safety and Prevention of Accidents (WORSPA), says, The CNG machine is supposed to have two pipes, one for the inlet of the gas into the car and the other that sends excess gas back to the machine. However, I have noticed that a few petrol pumps do not have the latter, which may be leading to health problems among attendants as they are inhaling the gas.
At a Juhu petrol pump that metro visited, one of the three CNG pumps had the second pipe missing. Balchandra Aakwde, one of the workers, says, There is no major problem as such. However, I do feel a little uneasy when I inhale the gas and I always have a slight headache. However, that may be due to the petrol fumes as well.
I have filed a plea for information on CNG safety measures
Mohammad Afzal
Consumer activistGas station owner Upendra J Choksi says, The machinery is given to us by Mahanagar Gas and they are responsible for it. Natural gas is lighter than air, it quickly dissipates when released. However, we are concerned about the safety of our men and are going to report this to authorities.
Also, we are immediately going to stop the use of the hosepipe which does not have a second pipe.
At the Lotus Petrol Pump on New Link Road, which has been recently renovated, the CNG pump has both pipes. P Mistri, one of the attendants, says, We arent affected by the fumes as our pipes are properly connected.
Afzal says, I am planning to bring the issue up in the apex committee meeting of MCGM where WORSPA is being represented by me. I have filed a plea under the Right To Information Act to MGL to find out about the safety measures at petrol pumps as far as CNG dispensing machines are concerned.
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Is inhaling CNG harmful?
No, says an MGL official. He says, All our CNG dispensers have been designed, installed and commissioned as per international standards, and have got in-built safety features to ensure gas is safely handled, metered and delivered into the vehicles. After refuelling a vehicle, the trapped gas, which is very negligible, has to be released before disconnecting the hose from the vehicle-refuelling valve.
Either this trapped gas is individually vented at the dispensing end or collectively vented by connecting all the dispensing points through a vent hose. In either case it is safe and there is no health hazard. Natural gas is non-toxic and non-corrosive.
However, it is harmful says Dr Rajni Desai, a resident of Seven Bungalows.
If inhaled in excess, CNG gas breaks down in your body and it will affect the liver. Though the effects will not be immediate, in the long run it can be harmful. It will increase the chances of people getting gastro or respiratory problems, she says.
