Assam: Aren’t activities over the oil pipeline posing any threat?

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Underground pipelines carrying crude oil are always highly inflammable. Such a pipeline of Oil India Ltd. (OIL) has been carrying crude oil from Duliajan to Barauni in Bihar via Guwahati since 1962. The moot point is: Doesn’t this pipeline that runs underground in Guwahati pose any threat to the dwellers of the city?

Such a question arises as a whole lot of professional activities are going on in some places that have the pipeline underneath in Guwahati. Since crude oil is highly inflammable, should such professional activities be allowed? 

Oil India Ltd.’s pipeline headquarters at Narengi in Guwahati looks after the pipeline in its entire length from Duliajan to Barauni. 

A person coming from Narengi Titinali to Six Mile will see the overground space of the pipeline on his left side from Pathar Quary onwards. OIL’s pipeline headquarters is around 600/700 metres from Pathar Quary. With the pipeline underneath, the space over ground is full of activities like garages, piling up of water tanks, garages meant for the repair of e-rickshaws, and whatnot. Even there are roads paved over the pipeline. Should all such activities be allowed at such places with a high-pressure petroleum pipeline underneath? A pertinent question is: who will own the responsibility if any undesirable incident happens to the pipeline due to such activities?

A team of The Sentinel visited the pipelines from Patha Quary. The team saw a signboard put up by OIL. The signboard reads, ‘High-pressure underground petroleum pipeline—unauthorised activity over ROW (Right of Way) is prohibited by law.’ Since the signage makes it crystal clear that any activity is not authorised over ROW, how come such professional activities go at places barely one or two km from OIL’s pipeline headquarters?

A few days ago, OIL issued a public notice on the print media in August 2024 and mentioned that “Oil India Limited has acquired RoW (Right of Way) for laying the pipelines under the Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines (P&MP) Act, 1962. Since these pipelines are carrying highly inflammable and hazardous crude oil and petroleum products, construction of any building or any other structure, construction and excavation of any tank, well, reservoir, dam, or plantation of trees is strictly prohibited on that land as per the P&MP Act, 1962.” 

This public notice is self-explanatory that no one can run activities at places where pipelines are carrying highly inflammable and hazardous crude oil and petroleum products underneath. The moot point is: how do the authorities concerned look the other way when business activities of all hues take place under their very nose?

With due respect to journalistic ethics, for the past one month, the team of The Sentinel contacted the higher OIL pipeline officials several times for their views on the activities going on over the pipelines. The team also physically visited the pipeline office. However, they kept on deferring dates and finally refused to part with any information with The Sentinel team on that issue. 

Guwahati city is growing on all fronts day by day, but there is little scope for the expansion of roads due to the scarcity of land. If various activities can go on with underground pipes carrying highly inflammable petroleum products underneath, why cannot the authority pave roads in such places where construction of roads is feasible, and if the law permits? This is a pertinent question, as a few roads paved on such lands in question are visible in Guwahati. 

The aerial surveillance of the Duliajan-Barauni pipeline once upon a time with the help of choppers by OIL speaks volumes about its importance. 

The crude oil-carrying pipeline from Dulianjan to Barauni via Guwahati is 1157 km in length and runs from Duliajan, Narengi, Dispur Last Gate, Hatigaon, the national highway, lower Assam, and West Bengal to Barauni.

Also Read: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates 2 Oil India Limited pipelines projects in a ceremony at Jorhat (sentinelassam.com)

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