Bhubaneswar: Suspected Maoists on Tuesday triggered blasts of a slurry pipeline, belonging to Essar Steel, near Chinitalguna village at Chitrokonda block in Malkangiri district.

According to reports received here from the company sources, the Maoists blasted portions of the pipeline in at least three spots by using landmine explosives. The damaged points are located 500 metres from one end to the other. The blasts caused considerable damage to the pipeline, which is stretched across the Bailadila mines area of Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh to its steel plant in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

The slurry pipeline passes through dense and thick forest, where the Maoists have sizeable presence and influence. The Maoists have targeted the slurry pipelines thrice since past one year.

"The Maoists have caused damaged to the Essar slurry pipeline by triggering blast at three places. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, besides the forces of state police, have rushed to the spot to diffuse the live landmines if any left behind by the armed cadres. Combing operation has been intensified in the area to flush out the Left-wing extremists," said Malkangiri MP Jagmohan Meena.

Because of the combing operation, the Maoists are scurrying for cover by leaving their places of hideouts. The beleaguered Maoists are now desperately trying to create trouble as a show of strength, said an official.

The loss to the slurry pipeline is estimated to be Rs 5 crore, said a senior Essar official.

This is second strike by armed Maoists since past 48 hours. Two CRPF jawans, deployed in anti-Maoists operation, were injured on Monday in a landmine blast by the Red rebels near the Jantapai forest in Chitrokonda block.

Essar Steel had constructed the pipeline to transport iron ore from the Baladila mines to its pelletisation plant in Visakhapatnam. The 67-km-long pipeline passes through Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. It is estimated that it ferries about 20,000 tonnes of iron ore in slurry form on a daily basis to the eight-million-tonne plant.

"The company has sought the presence of CRPF and police personnel for technical personnel to repair the damaged pipelines. Similar damages were done to the pipelines by the Maoists on September 22 and October 3.

The transportation of slurry ore to pelletisation plant in Visakhapatnam has been stopped for the time being following the damage. However, the plant production is on as the company has other sources of transportation of the slurry materials, said a company official, requesting not to be named.