Ranchi: One of two oil depots within capital limits is likely to be shut for good in the next two months when Indian Oil Corporation's (IOCL) recently inaugurated smart terminal at Khunti becomes operational, the news sure to be welcomed by residents of Namkum, especially students of Bishop Westcott School which was perilously close to the 2,500 kilo litre facility.
According to a senior IOCL official, the shut down would take another one or two months by which time the Khunti depot would be fully operational.
"Our new smart terminal in Khunti has already started receiving product (fuel) via pipelines. It is being stored and tested for quality and quantity there. But we haven't begun dispatching stocks across the state as yet," he said, adding that as of now, fuel was being dispatched to two-three pumps in Khunti as a test run.
Located at one of the entry points to Ranchi on NH-33, the Namkum depot is near Bishop Westcott School and is connected by a rail line. This depot, along with another one run by Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) at Chutia 8km away, are the two petroleum storage facilities that are in the capital and cause for serious concern of residents.
BPCL officials said they had no plans yet to close down their Chutia depot, but vouched for the safety of its operations. "We take utmost precaution and perform regular mock drills to tackle mishap threats," said a senior official at the Chutia depot over phone.
In the past few years, residents of Namkum have held a number of protests demanding the shifting of the depot that has been catering to Ranchi and its adjoining districts. But owing to a lack of alternatives, the shift has not been possible.
Now, with the inauguration of the Khunti terminal, that shutdown is realistically possible. In fact, Veena Kumari, IOCL's senior manager of corporate communications, confirmed the closure of the Namkum depot to The Telegraph .
"The Khunti terminal is meant to phase out the Namkum depot and I think in a couple of months, it will happen," she said from Patna.
According to IOCL's website, the Khunti depot would cater to 15 districts of state. It has a capacity to store 10.32 thousand kilo litre of motor spirit (MS), 33.34 thousand kilo litre of high speed diesel (HSD) and 7.118 thousand kilo litre of superior kerosene oil (SKO).
Another IOCL terminal at Jasidih, which came into operation two years back, has a capacity to store 12.35 thousand kilo litre of MS, 41.902 thousand kilo litre of HSD and 5.082 thousand kilo litre of SKO.
"Together, these two terminals have a capacity to cater to 28 districts, 24 in Jharkhand and a few in neighbouring states," said the senior IOCL officer.
Another official said that IOCL was supplying anywhere between 2,000 kilo litre-2,500 kilo litre from the Namkum depot. "At Namkum, we could store a maximum of two-three days of stocks for Ranchi and adjacent districts. We were dependent on railway rakes for our consignments, which often got delayed. These issues will be resolved now. The issue of safe fuel transportation and storage will also be addressed," he explained.
District disaster management officer Ashok Sharma welcomed the news of the Namkum depot's permanent shutdown. "Both Namkum and Chutia depots are in populated parts of the city. Namkum is on the highway, while Chutia depot is in the middle of the city close to Ranchi railway station," he said.
