An underground oil pipeline of Indian Oil Corporation limited has leaked near Atharbanki and thousands litres of oil have mixed with the water of Kaudia river posing pollution risk. Many aquatic animals have been found dead.
The oil pipeline leakage by oil mafia in connivance with some IOCl venal officials and local police has caused this again after a week of the last incident. The underground oil pipeline is around 7 km from the PPT oil jetty to IOCl terminal.
The pipeline is time and again damaged by the oil mafia in spite of presence of security personnel to look after the safety of the pipeline. But the oil thieves regularly are drilling the pipeline and stealing oil. More often than not, during stealing of oil, the oil mixes with the sea and river water nearby.
But IOCl authorities don’t seem to care for this loss as they can increase the prices of the oils and pass the burden onto the customers for all their losses. The local people have demanded the Oil Ministry to look into the nexus between oil mafia, local police and IOCl staffers and action against the culprits.