Efforts are on to neutralise diesel contamination in groundwater at Pariyapuram near Perinthalmanna. Several wells in the region have been contaminated following a major diesel spill after a tanker overturned on a slope on August 20.
Fire and Rescue Services personnel burnt the diesel that contaminated the water in a large well of a convent at Pariyapuram on Thursday. Although the diesel burnt for 15 minutes with heavy flames, the presence of diesel was found in the well on Friday as well.
Apart from the well in the convent compound, a well in the house of a person named Biju Thomas was also contaminated heavily on Friday. “Prolonged burning is not practical. We will have to drain the contaminated well water as part of preventing the spread of contamination further down the area,” said Baburajan C., Fire Station Officer, Perinthalmanna.
Although the worst contamination was found in two wells, several other wells in the area too had the presence of diesel. Fire and Rescue Services personnel have been battling it out to contain the spread of diesel into more wells in the region.
Groundwater in the Pariyapuram region was contaminated ever since the tanker accident in the early hours of August 20. The tanker carrying 20,000 litres of diesel for a Nayara fuel station at Melattur from Kochi had taken a detour through a narrow road when it overturned on a slope around 4 a.m. The tanker fell into a depth of 20 feet, and it emptied its contents in the impact of the accident.
The diesel that spilled out of the tanker contaminated groundwater and reached many wells in the region. Unaware of the presence of diesel in the well, the convent officials switched on the submersible water pump a day after the accident, triggering a blaze in the well.
On closer examination, several other wells were also found to have been contaminated. Although Nayara officials drained out diesel from the wells, the presence of diesel continued for over three weeks.
A meeting convened by the district administration two days ago decided to burn the diesel in some wells. Accordingly, fire officials burnt the diesel in the convent well. “But surprisingly, the contamination has not stopped. Diesel continues to trickle into the wells. It is a matter of grave concern,” said Mr. Baburajan.
