Repeated oil pipeline burst sparks fear in Dibrugarh's Tingkhong village
The repeated leakage has caused extensive damage, with crude oil spreading across agricultural fields and fish-rearing ponds in the area.
Farmlands and water bodies were coated with a thick layer of oil.
Dibrugarh, Jan 7: The district witnessed renewed panic and anger after a crude oil pipeline belonging to the Oil India Limited (OIL) burst twice within a span of a few hours at Shalmari-Dighalia village in Tingkhong area, raising serious concerns over ageing oil infrastructure and public safety.
The first incident occurred around 9:45 pm on Monday night (January 5), when villagers heard a loud sound and rushed out of their homes to find crude oil gushing out from a damaged pipeline. Fire tenders and emergency response teams from OIL reached the spot promptly and managed to control the leakage, averting a major mishap in the densely inhabited area.
However, before the fear from the nighttime incident could subside, panic returned this morning when the same pipeline reportedly burst again around 10 am. Crude oil once again gushed out at high pressure from the same ruptured point, forcing villagers to move to safer locations amid fears of a major accident. After nearly an hour of efforts, the OIL personnel managed to contain the leak for the second time.
The repeated leakage has caused extensive damage, with crude oil spreading across agricultural fields and fish-rearing ponds in the area. Farmlands and water bodies were coated with a thick layer of oil, while the strong stench of crude engulfed the locality, triggering widespread resentment among residents.
Monimanik Gogoi, a noted social worker and local resident, said the incident underscored the serious risks posed by ageing oil pipelines in the area. Recalling the sequence of events, he said villagers heard a loud noise around 9:45 pm and soon noticed crude oil spilling from the damaged pipeline. “Although Oil India Limited’s fire tenders and emergency teams arrived quickly and managed to control the situation, the pipeline is extremely old and should have been replaced long ago,” Gogoi said.
He further pointed out that the village is surrounded by multiple oil installations, including two oil collecting stations, and alleged that pipelines have been laid in a haphazard manner from oil wells to the collecting stations, often passing through agricultural fields and along roadsides. “With so many oil installations nearby, old and poorly laid pipelines pose a serious threat to life and property. Oil India must urgently replace the ageing pipelines and put the entire network in proper order to prevent a major disaster,” Gogoi added.
Meanwhile, local villagers staged a protest at the site in the presence of OIL officials, accusing the company of carrying out only temporary repairs after the initial leak.
By
Staff Correspondent