Thane: Outfit holds protest against Barsu refinery plan to mark World Environment Day

Several hundred people protested in Thane against the proposed refinery complex in Barsu in Konkan's Ratnagiri district to mark World Environment Day.

The protest, which was organised by the Paryavaran Jagruk Nagrik, was held in front of the collectorate here, with one of its leaders, Jagdsih Khairalia, claiming the project would severely affect the environment and have ill effects on the local population. The protesters later submitted a memorandum at the collector's office against the proposed project.

The said refinery project was initially proposed to be set up in Nanar, also in Ratnagiri, but was stalled after it was opposed by the local people and the Shiv Sena, which was in power in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2015. The Shiv Sena’s opposition at that time was in support of the local people, who were opposed to the project coming up in the region.

The oil refinery project and petrochemicals project proposed to be set-up at Barsu, is a joint venture on a fifty-fifty ratio between three public sector oil companies of India-- Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum and two foreign companies – Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and is called Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited and was formed on September 22, 2017. The three Indian oil companies have a share of 50:25:25 respectively.