Scare in Mehsana village as oil leaks into water source

PALANPUR : A leakage in the pipeline of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) led to oil spilling into the drinking water source of Balol village in Mehsana.
The village is located 20km from Mehsana city and has a population of around 7,000. The leakage was discovered on Friday evening.
Sources said the pipeline passes over the Narmada water source of the village. Residents were alarmed at finding oily water spreading into a field besides the supply to their houses."The contaminated drinking water is likely to have spread to villages of Kasalpura, Nadasa, Kokal and Martoli also," said village Sarpanch Ushaben Patel.
She said that the drinking water supply had to be cut immediately and water was provided to the people through tankers.
The sarpanch said that a team of ONGC officials also came to the village immediately to plug the leakage in the oil pipeline.
District collector Lochan Sehra and other officials rushed to the spot. The administration is probing the leakage and mixing of oil with drinking water. It is being probed whether the leakage was accidental or sabotage.
Sehra said, "We have taken immediate steps to stop the further flow of polluted water. Normalcy would be restored by Sunday morning."