AGARTALA, December 5 (TIWN): Gomati Hydro Electric Project pipeline leakage spills oil in river Gomati, resulting drinking water supply from four water treatment plants in Gomati and Sepahijala districts of Tripura was stopped since yesterday. The situation is under control now, said DWS Chief Engineer B.K. Debbarma.

Since after the oil spill in river Gomati came to a notice of the state government yesterday, certain steps has been taken to test the river water in the district laboratory. There are four plants at Amarpur, Udaipur, Sonamura and Melaghar, which lift water from Gomati River. But after the oil spill was reported the water supply to the areas were stopped immediately and drinking water from adjacent districts was being supplied in tankers in the affected areas.

Talking to TIWN today, the DWS (Drinking Water and Sanitation) Chief Engineer B.K. Debbarma informed, “We have collected more samples for testing in the laboratory of the science and technology department here”. The situation is under control now, said Mr. Debbarma. Adding to it he said that the river had been opened to Jatanbari, and Amarpur, Udaipur sub division will get the supply of water shortly.  The work is under process. But the supply of water will be delayed for the downstream areas like Melagarh and Sonamura sub division, he said.

Earlier, talking to the reporters here at the secretariat the DWS Minister Ratan Bhowmik said that the leakage took place when one unit of the Gomati Hydro Electricity Project was being repaired by Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd (TSECL) a few days ago, but the spilling has now completely stopped. Mr. Bhowmik further added that the leakage in the Hydro Electric pipeline occurred on November 27 and continued till December 2 when it was finally detected.

It is to be mentioned here, the much puffed up joint venture to develop upgradation of Gomati hydro-electric project at Dumbur Lake among other power projects of the state suffered massive hassle after authorities were found to have drained off hundreds of liters of used diesel and petro-chemical material derived from cleaning of the four decades old hydel project turbines into River Gomati.

According to the sources, the  executives of NEEPCO and the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL), who were engaged in reviving the much-dormant potential of Gomati hydro-electric project for the past several weeks, decided to drain off the entire load of used oil and diesel derived after cleaning the first unit of the hydel project into River Gomati.

The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon and Jatanbari, Chelagang and Natunbazaar were immediately found to be worst hit areas. Smears of oil were found all over the river in the area, most of which went into paddy and vegetable fields that derived primary source of irrigation water from surface water.