Paradip: These days the fear of fire is haunting the three oil terminals of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation limited (HPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) here as they do not have enough water to counter possible fires.
Both the state and the Centre are competing to set up industries in Paradip. The state government considers the port town as the gateway of ‘Make in Odisha’ and the Centre projects it as ‘Purvodaya,’ the prosperous east of a new India.
But both have ignored the two major problems facing the town these days. One is pollution and the other is water shortage.
While many organisations are staging demonstrations against the worsening air quality, the two governments have locked horns over the water problem. The controversy has assumed serious proportions as the Mahanadi is not having enough water.
The BPCL, IOCL and HPCL are finding the water problem a big headache these days.
At the oil terminals there is always the fear of a fire mishap. This fear makes it imperative for oil companies to store huge quantities of water.
The around 100 tanks at these three oil terminals have lakhs of litres of oil. Around 1800 to 2000 tankers are moving from this place to different parts of the state every day. There is also an LPG terminal nearby. As this is an oil and gas hub, the fear of a fire always exists.
Till two years ago, the three oil companies used to store water received from the port authorities. The Mahanadi south division and water resources department stopped supplying water to Paradip port in 2017, and the port authorities subsequently stopped supplying water to the oil terminals at Bauria Palanda.
After water supply was stopped by the port authorities, the terminal authorities have been writing letters to the Jagatsinghpur Collector. The Directorate of Factories and Boilers has been asking the oil terminal authorities to store adequate water.
The Collector conducted inspections several times in the last two years, but a satisfactory solution has not been found to the water problem.
For the time being, the oil terminal authorities are getting water from the refinery through tankers. Sources in the administration said in future the oil terminals will get water from the refinery through pipes.
There are two water sources between the Mahanadi and Paradip. The first one is Taladanda canal. The water released in this canal is used by farmers of Jagatsinghpur district and 14 industrial units. The refinery authorities are getting water from Kathajori in Cuttack through a pipeline.
As per the 1990 water agreement, Paradip port is entitled to three million gallons of water. The Mahanadi division gets revenue of 20 paisa a litre. The water must be used only by the port and it cannot sell the water to anyone else.
In 2017, it was found that the port authorities had been using six million gallons of water instead of the three million gallons a day mentioned in the agreement, and that it had been selling the water.
Then Special Secretary, water resources department, Vishal Gagan, placed some restrictions on signing a fresh agreement, like a fresh survey, using meters etc.
After the restrictions were imposed there is acute water shortage in Paradip during summer. Citing this, the port authorities have stopped supplying water to the three oil terminals, increasing problems for them in case of a fire mishap.
PNN
