CPCL plugs leak in crude oil pipeline off Nagapattinam coast 

Fishermen call for permanent removal of the pipelines 

Workers of Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) on Saturday controlled the leak of crude oil from a crack in the underwater pipeline that resulted in an oil spill a few kilometres off the Nagapattinam coast.

The leak occurred in the nine-km long pipeline used to carry crude from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation ’s Narimanam oil wells to the CPCL’s, now defunct, second refinery at Nagapattinam. An official from the CPCL said the crack in the pipeline observed on Thursday night was plugged in the early hours of Saturday.

However, later in the day, another minor leak was detected and was plugged. “Since the waves were strong, we decided to form a bund using sandbags to work around the pipeline. There is no pumping currently and the residual oil has been already sucked out,” the official said.

A statement from CPCL in Chennai said oil dispersants had been deployed to clear the oil and a recovery system was deployed to clear the area in totality. This activity will be continued till the area is clear of hydrocarbons. Pipeline will also be flushed to make it free of hydrocarbons.

The reason for the leak is being investigation, and meanwhile, officials from CPCL, with support from Indian Oil and the Nagapattinam district administration are working round the clock to complete the job expeditiously.

Meanwhile, fishermen from Nagapattinam taluk villages, including Pattinamcherry, Samanathampettai, Nambiyar Nagar, Ariyanatutheru, Keechankuppam, Akkaraipettai, and Kallar, staged a demonstration demanding the permanent removal of the pipeline. They also threatened to go on an indefinite strike if their demand was not met.

Iyyappan, a fisherman from Pattinamcherry, alleged that many of them suffered eye irritation and breathing problems because of the oil spill. It also posed a threat to marine life, he said. More than 200 police personnel were deployed in Pattinamcherry. Deputy Inspector General of Police, Thanjavur range, T. Jayachandran inspected the spot.