Assam: Oil pipeline bursts in Tingkong, affects farmland

A CORRESPONDENT

DIBRUGARH: A pipeline of Oil India Limited (OIL) burst at Shalmari Dighalia Gaon in Tingkhong, Dibrugarh, on Monday night. The explosion led to continuous crude oil leakage, which spread to nearby agricultural fields and fish-farming ponds, killing fish and causing significant losses to locals.  The incident occurred at around 10 pm on Monday. 

Residents accused the Oil India management of neglecting long-term safety measures, stating that the pipeline was extremely old and prone to repeated failures. 

The sharp smell of crude oil spread rapidly across the area, creating panic among residents. Villagers said that there was a constant fear of a massive fire breaking out at any moment.

“We heard a loud sound at around 10 pm. When we came out of our homes, we saw that the pipeline of OIL had burst and crude oil was spilling. Fire tenders from OIL came immediately to control the spillage,” said Monimanik Gogoi, a local resident.

He added, “The pipelines are too old, and Oil India should replace them. We have around 50 oil wells in our village, including 2 OCS and 1 DCS. The department’s timely intervention averted an untoward incident today, he said.

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