Shil diesel pilferage: Tools to puncture pipeline found

THANE: The authorities investigating the recent diesel pilferage at Shil are now trying to zero in on the miscreants after reaching out to dealers of the equipment found at the spot which were used to allegedly puncture the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd pipeline, officials informed on Saturday.
“We are yet to get any technical leads in the incident and are relying on our networks to zero in on the culprits. We have found some valves and pipes from the spot that was dug out by the unidentified accused to tap the diesel lines and are now trying to locate manufacturers and dealers of these equipment to get closer to the culprits,” informed a police official requesting anonymity.
A simultaneous hunt for those who were accused in similar attempts across the region will also be launched, said the police.
It may be recalled that the police stumbled upon the possible major diesel pilferage racket while investigating the recent blaze at Shil that was allegedly accelerated by the leaked fuel running into the underground chamber which took over 30 hours to be controlled. The blaze was allegedly triggered by a blast in the electricity supply network. The actual cause is yet to be investigated.
A case under relevant sections of the Petroleum And Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition Of Right Of User In Land) Act along with IPC and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 has been registered against unidentified persons by the Shil Daighar police.
Meanwhile, experts and residents have demanded isolation of such lines and also periodic safety review passing through dense residential zones.
“The incident calls for an immediate relocation and isolation of combustible utilities at a safer distance. The agencies and planners, if possible, can plan and ensure adequate safety barriers between the lines too,” said Ajit Kulkarni, electrical and fire consultant.
Milindkumar Deshmukh, an expert and former fire advisor and director to the government of Maharashtra laid the onus on maintaining safety of the asset on its owner and also suggested a periodic review of the utility network health.
“The respective police and district officials in a particular region should be aware of the utility network passing through their area to ensure any emergency is tackled promptly. Also, there should be periodic review meetings with representatives of these agencies including police and district disaster management teams,” he suggested.