Sunday morning saw yet another oil leak in north Chennai, this time opposite the IOC bus terminus in Tondiarpet on Kathivakkam High Road.
The leak in the pipeline belonging to Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) was noticed by some local residents and a few policemen who then contacted the oil major.
According to an IOC official, there was also a pressure dip in the pipeline which caused it to pump out the lube oil that was being sent from Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited to Chennai port.
The leak was later plugged with a clamp and the bluish fuel that had leaked onto the road was collected in a few barrels.
Maintenance personnel from IOC dug up a 10-feet-deep pit with an earth mover to facilitate the repairs.
There was not much panic in the area after the oil leak as most residents and commuters simply walked past the pool of oil collected by the road. Saraswathi, who runs a tiffin centre near the spot, said beat policemen contacted the company as soon as the leak was noticed.
The IOC official said the inspection report would be released by Tuesday after which a decision on further repairs would be taken. The official said that the movement of heavy vehicles could be affecting the pipelines.
“Earlier, only small vehicles plied on this road. Now, heavy vehicles, carrying 30-40 tonnes, pass by every day. This could be having an impact on the pipelines,” the official said.
North Chennai has a maze of old pipelines and oil storage terminals. Fuel leaks are not uncommon in the area. A couple of months ago, Union minister of State for environment and forests, Jayanthi Natarajan, had asked oil companies to take steps to prevent leaks.
