HPCL find hole in aviation fuel pipeline, register complaint

Mumbai: The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) located a hole in the main pipeline that carries aviation turbine fuel (ATF) all the way to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, indicating an attempt to steal the fuel

Mumbai: The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) located a hole in the main pipeline that carries aviation turbine fuel (ATF) all the way to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, indicating an attempt to steal the fuel. They have lodged a complaint and an FIR has been registered by the RCF police station.

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Police have registered a case against unknown perpetrator under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and that of the Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act, 1962.

In the police statement, the complainant said, “During a security check on Monday morning, the security supervisor found a wet, dark spot and felt a strong smell emanating from the side of the HPCL refinery’s wall near the railway gate in Gavhanpada, Chembur. An operation team was quickly deployed to the spot after getting this information.”

The 15-km long pipeline of 10 inches diameter, carrying ATF from the HPCL refinery to the airport, was first thought to have developed a leak. However, when the operations team dug up the spot, they found an iron plug of 1.5 inches diameter, which was connected to another pipe carrying the fuel in a different direction.

Balasaheb Ghavate, senior inspector of RCF police station, said, “It cannot be said for sure whether indeed some theft of the fuel has taken place. It is, however, clear that an attempt to do so was made. The tapping of this pipeline was done behind a parking area.”

The police have looked at the CCTV footages from the premises. The place where this tapping was done is a blind spot, which is not covered by any of the internal CCTV cameras of the refinery nor by any on the public roads, said another police officer. He added that they are now rounding up repeat offenders from the area with the technical know-how for inquiry.