Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, May 14: The pipeline of Petronet Ltd that is used to pump oil from Mangaluru to Bengaluru and other places, burst at Allaru in Panjikallu village in the taluk in the early hours on Wednesday May 13. As diesel poured out in large quantity from the line that is managed by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and posed risk of fire tragedy, people turned panicky.

Fire brigade personnel from the town as well as personnel attached to the rural police station here rushed to the spot immediately after they received information, to avoid any possible catastrophe.A large hole had opened up at the spot where diesel oozed out from pipes buried deep inside the earth, and diesel flowed through nearby fields. The strong odour of diesel rent the air in the region.

A farmer from the area, who went searching for the source of smell that had spread in the area early morning on Wednesday found out what had happened. He said that he tried calling the HPCL customer care centre's telephone number as mentioned in the board displayed by the company, but no one received the call. Finally, officials received the call at around 9.30 am, and visited the spot. They also took steps to temporarily stop the flow of diesel. Already hundreds of litres of diesel had flowed downhill for a considerable distance and agricultural fields, plantations, and pits were filled by diesel, and an unbearable odour had enveloped the area.

The people shudder at the enormity of the tragedy the taluk would have witnessed had petrol been flowing through the pipeline at the time. HPCL gas pipeline is also being laid now near the pipeline meant for transporting petroleum products, and the villagers feel that this will pose additional risks once the gas pipeline becomes operational. They demanded for shifting these pipelines, as buses and vehicles use this road daily.

Those who had gathered at the spot wanted to know why the customer care system of HPCL, which is so crucial for safety, is not operational, and why this number is displayed in board if it does not function round the clock. The locals also complained that those who received the call at 9.30 am, instead of acknowledging efforts made by locals, talked to them rudely.