Southern States - Karnataka

Pipeline likely to restrict movement of tankers

By Our Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE JUNE 8. The Mangalore-Bangalore Petroleum Pipeline (MBPP), which had raked up a controversy on the environment front, seems to be the reason behind the truckers' ire, which came to the fore during the three-day stir by the owners of petroleum tankers. The Rs. 765-crore 364-km. MBPP project, which is a part of the Southern Pipeline grid, is expected to end the reign of terror unleashed by the tankers over the past 10 years on the National Highway 48

The pipeline, which is expected to be operational soon, starts from the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL) complex and passes through 241 villages in Dakshina Kannada, Chikmagalur, Hassan, Mandya, Tumkur, and Bangalore, before ending at a village called Tarabahalli near Bangalore. With a capacity to supply 8.5 million tonnes of fuel per annum, the pipeline will also have a special "tap-off point" at Hassan from where petroleum products can be transported to other districts. Motor spirit, superior quality kerosene, aviation turbine fuel, high speed diesel, and naphtha will be supplied from the MRPL to Bangalore through the MBPP, which is one of the seven such pipelines in the country.

The Mangalore division of the National Highways Authority is apparently happy that the tankers will be finally off roads, particularly between Nelyadi and Sakleshpur. Sources in the authority said that even the tough mastic compounds laid on the road used to wear off due to the friction between the tyres and the road. Another cause for concern for the authority was that most tankers caused traffic jams as the drivers, while negotiating curves, ended up blocking the roads.

According to the HPCL officials, production at the MRPL will reach its optimum level during the next few months as the ONGC is planning to bring in crude oil not only from its oil rigs in Sudan but also from OPEC countries.

With the commissioning of the pipeline, the pollution level is expected to substantial come down. According to the statistics available, 5,430 tonnes of sulphur dioxide, 15,310 tonnes of nitrogen oxide, 1,513 tonnes of hydrocarbon, and 9,150 tonnes of carbon monoxide are emitted by tankers plying between Bangalore and Mangalore every year.

With the pipeline in place, the movement of these tankers will be restricted, which is expected to bring down the pollution level.

Most of the land to lay the pipeline was acquired on a temporary basis under the Petroleum and Minerals Pipeline (Right of User in Land) Act, 1962 by the HPCL, which had promised at the time of the acquisition that the land would be returned "in its original form" after the completion of the project.

It seems like the HPCL has kept its promise as much of this land in Hassan, Tumkur, and Bangalore has been readied by farmers for sowing.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu