********************************************************************** ****** **** IOC TO GO FOR A NEW PIPELINE: In the wake of oil leakage incident at the port town on Friday the IOC as a precautionary measure has decided to replace the entire 10-meter pipeline, which is underground. (GT) > > LEAK ATTRIBUTED TO PIPELINE NEGLECT: Neglect of a 30-year-old pipeline is > being attributed to the major oil leakage at Kharevaddo late on October 1, > > IOC OFFICIALS BOOKED: The Vasco police have registered offences under > Section 285, 336 r/w 34 of IPC against the offices of the IOC, Terminal > Manager, Operations Manager, Safety and Maintenance Manager and the section > staff for negligence. (WE-GT) > > VASCO PERCHED ATOP A TIME BOMB: Leakage or petroleum product from a pipeline > at Vasco has once again exposed the chinks in the armour of petroleum > companies in this port city. This is the second time that such an incident > has occurred in the port city of Vasco, the last one being reported on 12 > July, 2002, when miscreants pierced the pipeline carrying petroleum products > from the port to the restive oil companies and pilfered oil. (WE-GT) ********************************************************************** ****** ************ Wake up Vascokars !!! Going by the News that is making headlines in Goa lately especially the Oil leak, I am surprised that the authorities have not plugged all the holes it seems even after two years since the first incident. I am happy to note that the concerned IOC officials have been booked but as you know the law takes its own sweet time & everything will be forgotten for another two years until another incident (maybe disaster ????) happens. We are lucky that so far no casualties have not taken place. Besides the IOC officials, our local politicians should take equal responsibility for this gross negligence. What action has been taken since the last incident ??? How such an incident could take place once again ? This clearly indicates that no lessons have been learnt. It is therefore not wrong to say that Vasco is perched on a Time Bomb..... Wake up Vascokars, are you'll just going to wait & watch till the next disaster affects your lives.... Analyzing the above news items I gathered in the last few days and based on my engineering experience I have a few observations to make ....... 1. How the underground pipelines were not checked even after the previous incident ? How much more underground pipeline has not been inspected & neglected for 30 years ? This is really ridiculous........ As per international standards pipelines are designed for 20 years life span. Therefore this pipeline has performed much beyond its life span & there is no doubt why it has failed. It should have been inspected & replaced long back. 2. Internationally it is a practice to monitor the corrosion rate of all pipelines by inspecting the pipeline thicknesses at regular intervals. If such a practice was being followed at IOC then we would not have heard of the latest incident ? I recommend that IOC should inspect periodically all underground & above ground pipelines & its records maintained for review at anytime. The Govt. should monitor these records periodically. 3. Pipelines installed underground are deemed to corrode. Latest technology is to provide cathodic protection for underground pipelines to protect against corrosion & give longer life. If such a protection was done at IOC then we would not have heard of the latest incident ? But let it be clear that such protection should not stop the corrosion monitoring which is still necessary but maybe at longer intervals. 4. Working in Gulf I have experienced that companies & Govt. agencies give a lot of importance to safety & environment protection but this is totally lacking in Goa. Does IOC have any safety standards ? I doubt very much based on its past record & repetition of incidents. 5. Just like the team created for advising on Baina development, Vascokars should demand a team of experts to look into this incident & investigate the records & functioning of IOC. If Govt does not take action then Vascokars should take a morcha & demand for such an action. Help can also be taken from some NGOs to voice these demands. It is a shame that we have to hear news about Vasco on TV across the globe for the wrong reasons. Wake up Vascokars.... something needs to be done before there is another disaster. Afterall it is a question of survival of Vasco citizens in the beautiful port city of Goa. ELVIN GODINHO Saudi Arabia ------------------------ Yahoo! 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