Basudevpur: A racket involved in pilfering crude oil from IOCL’s underground pipelines is active in Basudevpur area of Bhadrak district. IOCL pipelines extend from Paradip to Haldia in West Bengal.
The pilferage came out Thursday when locals found oil leaking from a hole in a farmland at Shunguda. A huge quantity of crude oil was pilfered from the pipeline by drilling a hole, locals said.
IOCL officials rushed to the spot and started plugging the leak. Repairing was underway when last reports came in. The officials have launched an investigation into the oil pilferage.
There are allegations that the pilferage took place due to lack of patrolling in the area. The IOCL had posted guards in the area, but it is suspected that the guards may not have been alert at night.
Pareshnath Sahu, a security guard in the area, said they were performing their duties as usual, but were unaware about any bid to steal oil.
A huge quantity of crude oil has spilled out of the pipeline, and has spread on nearby farmlands and a creek. This kind of theft has been happening regularly.
A huge quantity of oil was stolen from an IOCL pipeline in a similar way at Bakharpur in the same block May 25, 2017.
Police had then seized a tanker filled with 5,000 litres of crude oil. The thieves had cut the pipeline and siphoned off the oil. Police registered a case.