Landslide adds to fuel procurement woes
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 07 2021: The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) is now facing several hurdles in its attempts to stock adequate volumes of fuel including LPG at the Malom Depot and Sekmai Bottling Plant before the onset of rainy season.

Even as the IOCL was working to maintain healthy stock of fuel and LPG at Malom and Sekmai since last year, their efforts achieved little success on account of bandhs, blockades and breakdown of highways.

Nonetheless, TTs and LPG trucks stranded outside the State were escorted to Imphal at the request of the IOCL.

Still then, the storage capacities of Malom depot and Sekmai bottling plant could not be topped up, sources informed.

In the meantime movement of TTs and LPG bullets convoys escorted by security personnel was suspended yesterday on account of a landslide which occurred on Imphal-Dimapur highway near Chumukedima police check-gate.

According to today's opening stock balances, there are 10 days' requirement of petrol and diesel for 14 days at Malom and 10 days' requirement of LPG at Sekmai.

Subsequent upon the State Government's declaration of Imphal and Greater Imphal areas as containment zones, normal supply of petrol, diesel and LPG has declined drastically.

Even though it is the perfect time to top up fuel and LPG stocks when the normal supply is quite low by sending convoys of at least 120 TTs, drivers and helpers are reluctant to go for fuel and LPG shipment for they have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, said the sources.

There are more than 700 TTs and LPG tankers under IOCL which means there are around 1400 drivers and helpers.

IOCL has taken up due initiative to vaccinate these drivers and helpers against COVID-19 in collaboration with Shija Hospital.

In the meantime, some retail outlets have been sending their own TTs to ferry fuel after vaccinating their drivers and helpers at their own expense.

The Government needs to pay extra attention to see that all drivers of TTs and LPG bullets and their helpers are vaccinated so that there is no interruption in shipping fuel to the State otherwise the State may face shortage of fuel and LPG during rainy season, the sources added.

Comment