NAGAPATTINAM: Nagapattinam district administration has asked Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (CPCL) to decommission the ‘unsafe pipeline’ that leaked three times in the last three days, leading to a major oil spill off the coast. The administration stated that it would not allow the pumping of oil through the pipeline.
Following the assurances, the fisherfolk has withdrawn their protests temporarily which they had planned against the company this week. A. Arun Thamburaj, the district collector of Nagapattinam, visited Nagore Pattinacherry and inspected the site and took stock of the progress of works carried out by CPCL to fix the leak. He also spoke to fisherfolk and assured them of support.
“The pipeline is old, unsafe and is not properly maintained. We have told the CPCL to remove the pipeline and they have agreed. We will not allow the pumping of oil or anything using the pipeline in future without our approval. We have assured our fisherfolk the same,” Thamburaj told TNIE.
The 9-kilometre-long pipeline connects CPCL’s crude oil storage tanks at Nagapattinam to the ships anchored off at Karaikkal Port. CPCL said they plugged their leak completely with their ‘online sealing’ on Sunday. The pipeline passing near Nagore Pattinacherry reportedly leaked thrice in three days since Thursday.
“We are currently flushing the pipeline after fixing the leak to remove the hydrocarbons. We are collecting the residual crude oil from the refinery end. There were no abnormalities thereafter. We are also testing the efficiency of the line,” a senior official from CPCL told TNIE. On Monday, officials from Nagapattinam district administration led a meeting with CPCL officials and fisherfolk.