PANJIM: Even as the Zuari Indian Oil Tanking (ZIOTL) pipeline leakage has caused concerns about fuel availability in the State, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said there is nothing to worry as the supplies are being managed by getting fuel from other States.
“There is no need for alarm as the supplies are being managed by getting fuel from other States. The ZIOTL is putting all efforts to detect the leaks. However, the government will take strict action against the company for not controlling the leakage of fuel into water bodies. Also, prima facie, there is no foul play involved in the leakage,” Sawant said.
As a force majeure the Government and the petroleum companies have begun fuel supply from neighbouring districts of Karnataka as well as Miraj in Maharashtra. However the efforts to find the leak are falling flat.
President of the Goa Petrol Dealers Association Narhar Thakur also echoed the views of CM Sawant, saying that there is no deficiency of supply.
“All the tankers have been employed in ferrying fuel from Desur in Khanapur, Karnataka and from Miraj in Maharashtra. This is enough to fulfill the fuel demand of Goa,” Thakur said.
The ZIOTL has tried all the methods to find the leak in the pipeline that led to the wells and nallah water contamination. Sources have informed that ZIOTL has employed leakage finding technology from Malaysia.
Earlier this week, residents of Chicalim confronted officials of the ZIOTPL over the continuing contamination of groundwater due to leakage of petro products. The residents were agitated over contamination of water from wells, nullahs and other water sources, which they said had been occurring for more than 10 days.
The ZIOTPL officials claimed that the leaking petroleum pipeline, which is the potential cause of contamination, has been closed since November 22 and that no fresh pumping of petroleum products has been done since then through the pipeline.
ZIOTPL chief executive officer Shriprasad Nayak had said that the water bodies would be cleared of contamination and only after full line test and administrative clearance, the pipeline would be opened for cargo.
With pumping operations suspended for over two weeks, oil companies are bringing petrol from tankers by road from Maharashtra and Karnataka. Officials and petrol pump dealers have assured that there is no fuel shortage in the State.
