Mystery behind well water contamination deepens

MANGALURU: The

mystery

behind

water

from

wells

in

Kanakere

,

Deralakatte

, on the outskirts of the city, turning flammable

deepened

on Friday with Indian Oil Corporation officials

ruling out

seepage of fuel from a nearby fuel station. The bunk was shut down for a day while officials conducted a check.

Residents noticed oily substances in the water which caught fire and suspected that a leak from the fuel station had contaminated the well. Following a demand from BM Sattar, vice-president of Belma village panchayat, to check for a leak, the facility in Kanakere under Belma village limits was shut for inspection and experts from IOC conducted tests. The bunk was shut for a 24-hour period till noon on Friday.

Fire department personnel were deployed at the spot and stocks of fuel were checked before the station was shut in order make sure that there was no seepage.

Anup Kushwah, chief divisional manager (retail sales), IOC, told TOI, “We found no leak from the storage tanks. Over a 24-hour period, there was no reduction in stock of fuel, so the contamination is from elsewhere.”

Karnataka Pollution Control Board officials, who tested water samples, found the proportion of fuel was high in one well. In another well, fuel and untreated sewage was mixed with the water.

Residents say the fuel station was damaged by lightning 15 years ago and they suspected that the storage bunks were also damaged in the incident. There are several houses situated below the facility. However, Seetharama Shetty, the owner of the fuel station, said, “Only the retaining wall was damaged due to thunder and lightning. The storage units were intact. Every day, stock is checked and we have not found any discrepancy suggesting a leak or wastage.”


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