The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : `Adulteration of petrol rampant'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 26, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

`Adulteration of petrol rampant'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, DEC. 25. A survey of petrol pumps has found that adulteration of petrol is rampant, with naphtha suspected to be the most common adulterant.

According to the findings of the survey conducted by the Federation of Consumer Organisations-Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry (FEDCOT) on 145 petrol pumps in rural areas along the National Highways in the State, more than 50 per cent of the pumps were adulterating the fuel.

It is mandatory for all petrol pumps to provide facilities to check the quality of petrol supplied , said P. Umapathy, Director-Standard of FEDCOT.

At a day-long seminar on the findings of the survey , Mr. Umapathy and other members of the FEDCOT stressed the need for consumers to be aware of the quality of petrol and diesel.

Filter paper tests, density check, water contamination test and five-litre measure test were conducted at the petrol pumps. The findings were sent to the oil companies concerned.

Consumer awareness

Consumers should demand that the petrol be tested, said Mr. Umapathy.

Every petrol pump must display the density of petrol and the address of the Divisional Manager or Safety Officer of the company, said M. Nizamudeen, FEDCOT's General Secretary.

According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, which conducted a demonstration at its office in Taramani recently, unadulterated petrol when dropped on an ordinary blotting paper would evaporate within a minute. If it contained oil, it would take more time for evaporation and leave a stain on the paper. Often it was found that the pumps did not supply fuel of the correct density of the right quantity.

The BIS believed that at most pumps petrol is adulterated with naphtha, which is a by product of crude oil and cheaper.

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