Malom depot fails to stock fuel to full capacity
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 08 2021:
The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) is unable to stock fuel at its Malom depot to the full capacity.
The hi-tech depot has storage capacity of 5124 Kls of petrol, 11,796 Kls of diesel and 5055 Kls of kerosene.
A huge landslide which occurred at Chumukedima along Imphal-Dimapur highway in February this year, bandhs and blockades in hill areas, suspension of movement of TTs during Yaosang festival and restriction of the size of CRPF-escorted TT and bullet tank convoys to just 120 in one trip have been cited for the IOCL's failure to stock fuel to the full capacity at the Malom depot.
The pumpable stocks available on Wednesday were 2101 Kls of petrol, 5009 Kls of diesel and 3267 Kls of kerosene.
The opening stock of LPG at the Sekmai bottling plant was 1909 MT.
The Imphal airport's ATF storage tank had 501 Kls of ATF on April 7, sources informed.
As per the available pumpable stocks, petrol would last seven days, diesel 10 days and LPG 13 days.
The available stocks of kerosene and ATF would last 109 and 25 days, according to the sources.
As the available stocks of fuel at the Malom depot and Sekmai bottling plant are not reassuring and the unpredictability of what may unfold as and when rainy season sets in, there is an urgent need to stock up fuel, said the sources.
Taking due note of the need for stocking up fuel, the IOCL's Imphal Divisional Office Deputy General Manager (Retail Sales) Cum State Level Coordinator wrote to the CAF&PD Commissioner yesterday to advise the Manipur Police Headquarters to provide special security escorts for bringing in loaded TTs on Saturday which are currently stranded at different places outside the State, conveyed the sources.
Acting on the IOCL officer's letter, the CAF&PD Deputy Secretary wrote to the DGP today requesting security personnel for escorting both empty and loaded TTs and LPG bullet TTs on Saturday.
Even though the Malom depot and Sekmai LPG bottling plant could not be stocked to their full capacities, around 150 to 200 TTs and LPG bullet TTs are waiting for security escorts on a daily basis at Khatkhatti, Assam, the sources added.