Team Herald
PONDA: Oil spill by tankers has almost turned a five-km stretch of the Corlim-Banastari and Kundaim road accident prone. However, alerts by social media, passersby and timely action by Fire Station personnel to cover the spilled oil with mud prevented probable disasters on the road.
Before the oil was covered with mud by the fire-fighters, several bikers, however, saw their vehicles skid off the road. Drivers were on alert only after pictures appeared on the social media warning of the possible danger.
Vehicle owners were moving at snail pace on the left side of the road which witnessed the spill. The tanker, which was responsible for the spill, was not even aware that his vehicle was spilling oil. Only when some alert citizens followed the tanker to a petrol pump in Kundaim and warned the driver, did he realise of the spillage.
Thanks to timely action by alert citizens and the Fire Fighting Officers action and also warning over social media, no accidents took place on the National Highway.
According to Ponda Fire Station Assistant Divisional Officer Rajendra Haldankar and Ganesh Govekar Kundaim Fire Station in-charge the tanker had started spilling oil on the road from 8.30 am from Corlim to Banastarim up to Kundaim road. On being alerted about the spill, firefighters of Ponda and Kundaim rushed to the spot and began covering the spilled oil with mud to prevent vehicles from skidding off the road.
“The fire fighting personnel worked hard till late Tuesday evening to get rid of the danger caused by the spillage. We dumped mud on the oil spilled to prevent the area turning hazardous. In the evening the oil from the tanker was unloaded into another tanker at Kundaim,” said a fighter fighter.
