The threat of groundwater contamination at Matvem-Dabolim looms large in the wake of fuel detected in well water at a residence and has been holding the people in the area, around 200, in the grip of panic. The local panch alleging that six other wells, a bore well and a natural spring in the area are also contaminated raises a fear that Matvem may have never expected. A thick blue-coloured film of oil was seen covering the well water as authorities struggled to get to the bottom of the issue.
The primary understanding is that there is a possible leak in one of the fuel pipelines connected to the oil company terminal at the Sancoale base positioned above this area. Authorities suspect 'a minor leakage' in one of the pipelines, which again suggests that this leak may have happened a long time back, perhaps a year or even more. Because a minor leak would take longer to contaminate groundwater.
Whichever way one looks at it, it is appalling that the operators of this line could not detect a pressure drop, or had no mechanism to suspect a leak whatsoever, and it was the alarm that residents raised on seeing the damage caused that became the sole trigger for authorities to act. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done, and what we see now are desperate attempts to give some sense of security.
The priority question is about the safety of those living in such areas where pipelines pass underground, and whether there are enough parameters in place. This incident only exposes the fact that people there are at health risk all the time, sitting on a time bomb, not knowing when it could explode.
It is amusing that authorities have now gone about checking the fault in the line by excavating the areas at six different locations, overlooking the risk that, in the process, they could do more harm than good. The fuel leak has left a trail of destruction that nobody can fathom. For the moment, there is a grave threat that the 22 households in the area who were using well water for they may have to now bid goodbye to their ‘mogachi baim’. That's not all. There is a possibility that the effect could be also on plantations and land.
Data indicates that fuel and oils travel swiftly through the land surface layers to contaminate groundwater and can have severe consequences to lives and property. It is shown that the severity of contamination has a direct effect on critical habitat and could result in abandoning groundwater as a source of water supply.
It is foolish to empty tonnes of water from the Matvem well without plugging the leakage or without getting to the source of the problem, this only reflects a completely amateurish approach to handling the issue. In fact, authorities did not show the dexterity this situation demanded. For example, it took around 6-7 hours for authorities to get into action when the complaint was registered. The fact that a ‘fire test’ was initiated to prove the presence of fuel in the well water amplifies the disastrous state of our disaster management.
Within 24 hours there should have been an exact scaling on the presence of fuel in the water of all 22 wells in the area, the bore well in question and the natural spring. If groundwater is contaminated, it can’t be a one-day phenomenon.
Groundwater contamination is a serious problem that may not be reversed or corrected in a short period. Cleansing operations involve years of struggle and high costs, and governments normally choose to abandon such jobs. The people in Matvem may have to keep their fingers crossed, and for now rely exclusively on the erratic piped water supply of the PWD.
The State Pollution Control Board issuing directives to Zuari Indian Oiltanking Pvt Ltd to halt the use of the pipeline is a welcome step, but the board should step up and check other parameters like safety audits on these lines which are believed to have outlived their lives. Questions have to be asked on the safety of citizens and the systems in force, responsibility has to be fixed for putting the lives of common citizens at risk.
