Leak in pipeline causes oil spill in TN coast

PTI, Mar 3, 2023, 8:40 PM IST

Representative Image (Credit: Pixnio)

Chennai: A leak in the pipeline of a refinery caused oil spill in Nagore Pattinacherry coast in the district and efforts are to plug the leak, Nagapattinam district collector A Arun Thamburaj said on Friday.

The local fishermen who noticed the sea water becoming oily this morning resorted to a sudden agitation. Soon officials from the refinery rushed to the coast and identified the drip in the underwater pipe. The leak could have probably occurred on Thursday night, apparently due to damage to the old pipeline used to transport crude oil to the Karaikal port once in one-and-a-half months, a senior official said. The revenue and police officials who rushed to the fishing village pacified the fishers by assuring to arrest the leak soon.

”There’s no threat due to the oil spill. It is a minor leak of the residue in the pipeline. The administration has alerted all teams and efforts are on to plug the leakage. We have pressed into service the Coast Guard, fire and rescue service personnel and the police and they are restoring it,” the Collector told PTI.

The pipeline remained idle for most part of the month and there’s no threat to marine life. ”It is not a live pipeline. The residue crude oil could have leaked. The restoration work will be completed soon,” he added.