KOCHI: The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) is planning to resume the work of its LPG import terminal at Puthuvype from April 25, when the district lifts the lockdown partially. The public sector oil major is also continuously monitoring the situation to ensure the supply lines of essential petroleum products are maintained across the country with all necessary safety protocols in place for its field force, officials said.
The work on the `750-crore terminal project had been facing hurdles following protests from locals and ‘environmental activists’ for several years. The work was resumed after two-and-a-half years on December 17 last year when the district administration clamped prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 at Puthuvype village, comprising 11 wards. However, the lockdown last month due to Covid stalled the work again.“We have received the government’s permission to start operations after April 24 when the lockdown in Ernakulam is relaxed. The Puthuvype work will commence on April 25,” said a senior IOCL officer.
When the work resumed in December, IOCL officials had told TNIE that 45 per cent of the work was over and that the project would be ready in another 18 months. However, the resumption of work from April 25 with fewer workers is likely to further delay the commissioning of the key project.The `225-crore Multi-User Liquid Terminal (MULT) jetty for unloading LPG at Cochin Port, a part of IOCL’s project at Puthuvype, was completed in March 2018. A release by IOCL said About 420 of its 423 supply and distribution locations are functioning with optimised manpower under the advisories of respective state governments.