Staff Reporter
Vasco
Panic gripped Dabolim on Friday afternoon after a petroleum pipeline was damaged during the flyover construction by a contractor of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The rupture brought all activities to a standstill as authorities rushed to the site to contain the
situation.
According to officials, workers using a breaker accidentally punctured a petroleum pipeline belonging to Zuari Indian Oil Adani Ventures Private Limited (ZIAVPL). After air began escaping from the pipeline, Vasco fire station and police were on alert suspecting a naphtha leak.
Station Fire Officer Dilip Bicholkar said that all movement at Dabolim junction was halted, including public access and traffic, as emergency teams from Adani and ZIAVPL were called to assess the damage.
It was later confirmed that the pipeline was not carrying petroleum at the time.
“The pipeline is usually filled with air to detect any tampering by external agencies. When it ruptured, the escaping air caused panic,” Bicholkar said.
ZIAVPL CEO Shiv Prasad Nayak stated that the pipeline, which transports petroleum from Mormugao Port Authority to Zuari, had last received a consignment on Thursday, with the next delivery expected on Saturday.
“Fortunately, there was no supply on Friday. The next delivery will depend on the repair status, which is expected to take at least a week. However, there is no cause for concern, as the company has enough petroleum reserves for the next 15 days,” he said.
Mormugao Mamlatdar Pravinjay Pandit said that he inspected the site and instructed the contractor accordingly.
“Traffic was halted in the area for nearly an hour. We took a written statement from ZIAVPL confirming that the pipeline was safe before reopening the road to vehicles,” he said.
