VASCO: A week after a well was found contaminated with traces of petro product at Matvem-Dabolim, streams and nullahs too have been found contaminated with fuel films floating on water surface.
The panicked residents on Sunday stated that they have been experiencing the smell for the last two days and were shocked when they spotted water streams and nullahs contaminated. A resident immediately informed Chicalim panch and ward member Neelam Naik, who contacted the Disaster Management, Fire and Emergency Services and the oil tanking company. The authorities rushed to the spot to take preventive measures.
After inspecting the streams and nullhas, Naik demanded to close down pipelines which endanger human and animal life. Naik said that the villagers have been demanding to remove all the pipelines as well as storage tanks but the authorities had not paid heed to their demand.
Naik pointed out that in her police complaint, she had mentioned that the fuel traces will contaminate streams and flow into Zuari River killing rare species like windowpane oysters.
Referring to the oil tanking companies clearing the film on the water using a sponge, Naik said that these workers will be unable to continue their clearing job at night due to thick vegetation and feared that contamination will spread. The oil companies have so far removed as many as 30 tanker loads of water from the well but are unable to find the cause of the contamination, she said.
On the other hand, an official of Zuari Indian Oil Tanking Private Limited said that they have been trying to detect any leakage and that more agencies have been deployed to find the cause. As of now pipelines have been totally closed, he informed.
Zuari Indian Oil Tanking Private Limited (ZIOTL) chief executive officer Shriprasad Nayak said that on receiving information, they immediately mobilised teams and used absorbent pads to clear and control the contamination from the stream and prevent it from spreading further. “We got to know of the contamination of streams when we were working at the well,” he said adding that they will now deploy two dedicated teams at both the sites i.e. at the well and at the stream.
Naik said that they have been using various techniques to find the fault. But it might take some time may be another two days to rectify the fault, he added.
According to Naik, a Delhi-based agency has started a survey and that their pipelines have been closed since November 22. He said that the authorities have directed them to find the fault, rectify it and to submit a report following which the company will take its further decision on the pipelines.
