Oil pumps set to take up fire safety measures
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 21 2017: All retail outlets of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) located in different districts of the State would soon take up all the prescribed fire safety measures so as to avert any accidental disaster.

Fire mishaps were reported at three ROs of IOC during 2016-17 in the North East.

Even though the fire mishaps could have resulted in huge casualties, there were only limited casualties/damages.

The fire mishaps took place in Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur.

It was PCTC, Khoyathong where the fire mishap took place in Manipur.

A loaded tanker was damaged substantially as it caught fire in the process of unloading fuel at PCTC on November 23 last year.

Following the fire mishap, PCTC was modified/renovated and it took almost three months.

Following the three fire mishaps which took place across the North East region, due initiatives have been launched to take up whatever fire safety measures that have not been put in place in accordance to guidelines.

There are around 68 ROs of IOC in Manipur including 14 in Imphal East, 24 in Imphal West, 11 in Thoubal, four in Bishnupur, four in Churachandpur, one in Pherzawl, three in Tamenglong, two in Chandel, three in Senapati and two in Ukhrul.

Even though majority of the oil pumps located in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur seem to be abiding by standard safety norms, ROs located in other districts look quite shabby.

Nonetheless, IOC has geared up to carry out a special drive covering all its ROs and the ROs would be directed to make up all the shortfalls in fire safety measures within 10 days.

IOC's Imphal Chief Divisional Retail Sales Manager cum State Level Coordinator Sinam Ibungoton told The Sangai Express that the IOC has launched a drive from today so as to obtain details about fire safety measures taken up at different ROs as well as what they are lacking.

Informing that the drive would be wrapped up within 10 days, Ibungoton underscored the importance of abiding by fire safety norms as prescribed by the oil industry for any fire mishap at oil pumps is potentially disastrous.

With regard to the limited availability of fuel at ROs during the past few days, he said that there are three storage tanks for petrol at IOC's Malom depot .

The level of fuel in all the three storage tanks was low.

As such, there were certain problems in drawing fuel from the tanks for allocation to ROs.

Only 123 Kls of petrol were issued on Saturday.

That was why, there was some shortage in fuel supply to public through ROs, Ibungoton said.

Even though normal petrol supply rate for IOC is 160 Kls in a day, 200 to 220 Kls were issued in the preceding days (before Saturday) .

Malom depot officials have been instructed to unload fuel in only one storage tank rather than in all the three storage tanks so that fuel can be pumped out easily.

Petrol available at stock presently would last seven days and diesel would last 16 days.

Meanwhile, 20 loaded petrol tankers reached Imphal today and there would not be any fuel shortage, Ibungoton added.

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