Parliament Question: Fire safety at petrol pumps and preventive measures in high-density urban areas

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 3497 ANSWERED ON – 23/03/2026 FIRE SAFETY AT PETROL PUMPS AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES IN HIGH- DENSITY URBAN AREAS 3497 DR. AJEET MADHAVRAO GOPCHADE: Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state: (a) the extant mechanism in place, including scheduled routine and surprise inspections, to ensure the availability of adequate firefighting systems at petrol pumps across the country; (b) the number of petrol pumps penalised for inadequate firefighting arrangements during the last three years; (c) the number of minor and major fire incidents reported at petrol pumps across the country during the last five years, and the action taken thereon; and (d) the steps taken by Government, in coordination with Government of Maharashtra, to strengthen fire safety norms and emergency preparedness at petrol pumps, particularly in high-density urban areas such as Mumbai to ensuring safety? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI) (a) to (d): The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has notified PNGRB (Technical Standards and Specifications including Safety Standards for Dispensing of Automotive Fuels) Regulations, 2018, which, inter alia, includes provisions with respect to fire prevention & protection facilities at Retail Outlets (ROs) dispensing Automotive fuels such as Motor Spirit (MS), High Speed Diesel (HSD) and their variants. As per the said regulations, any entity which intends to set up a Retail Outlet, is required to make available its plan including design consideration conforming to these Regulations to Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) for its approval. Further, PNGRB has notified (Codes of Practices for Emergency Response and Disaster Management Plan (ERDMP)) Regulations, 2010, under which entities owning ROs shall ensure the availability of emergency control systems and facilities which includes Fire protection & Firefighting system, etc. The PNGRB Technical Standards and Specifications including Safety Standards mandate the following measures:- i. Annual safety audit by an officer of the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) or its authorised representative. ii. Electrical safety audit once every three years. iii. Weekly safety checks by the dealership or operating personnel. iv. Conducting Mock Drills on quarterly basis as mandated in PNGRB-ERDMP regulations.Public Sector OMCs have informed that a RO is commissioned only after strictly following stipulations as laid out in Petroleum Rules 2002, as amended from time to time. After compliance with all the said stipulations, PESO grants license to Public Sector OMCs to operate the RO. Further, the Public Sector OMCs strive to maintain these standards by means of regular and surprise inspection, and strict action is taken as per Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG) in case deficiencies are noticed. PNGRB (Codes of Practices for Emergency Response and Disaster Management Plan (ERDMP) Regulations, 2010, mandate imparting of training and refresher courses to all the personnel (including employees, contract workers, transport crew and security personnel) likely to be involved directly or indirectly in emergency handling at ROs. Public Sector OMCs also provide regular training on safety aspects to petrol pump dealers and their staff. Periodic check-up of all fire-fighting systems available at Retail Outlets are checked and corrective action is taken immediately, if required. Further, in addition to the fire protection measures stipulated by PESO, the State-specific requirements prescribed by the Maharashtra State Fire Department as part of the NOC conditions are also complied with at ROs to further strengthen fire safety and emergency preparedness, particularly in high-density urban areas such as Mumbai. Public Sector OMCs have nil cases of penalization of ROs for inadequate fire-fighting arrangements during the last three years. During the last 5 years (FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25) and current FY 2025-26 (till Feb, 2026), 93 Minor and 19 Major fire incidents have been reported at Public Sector OMCs’ ROs. In response, OMCs have undertaken several actions including regular safety and SOP training for dealers & RO staff, training on electrical safety, fire-fighting procedures, Tank Trucks (TTs) decantation & CNG fuelling operations, Holiday Listing of Contractor/ City Gas Distribution (CGD) entity, disciplinary action against officials, etc. **********