Imphal: The Home Department, Government of Manipur has constituted a Committee to pursue a detailed inquiry into the reported incident of leakage of oil from the Heavy Fuel Power Station at Leimakhong.
An order was issued in this regard, dated January 11, signed by Dr. Mayengbam Veto Singh, Joint Secretary (Home), Government of Manipur by orders and in the name of Manipur Governor. The committee consists of Ashutosh Kumar Sinha, IPS ADGP (Int) Manipur as Chairman, Dr. Shailesh Kumar Chaurasia, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Power), GoM as member and M. Pradip Singh, IPS, Additional Secretary (Home), Government of Manipur as Member Convenor.
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The Committee is to inquire into the cause of the incident of leakage including circumstances leading to it; to inquire into the contributing factors that led to such incident; to consider such matters as may be found relevant in the course of inquiry; and to suggest immediate and long term measures for safety and security of the Plant. The Committee is to submit its report to the Government within 15 days’ time and the same is empowered to co-opt members as and when it thinks appropriate.
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It may be mentioned that heavy fuel leaked from Leimakhong Power Station in Kangpokpi District on Wednesday evening and spilled into a stream known by the locals as Loukhong or Luwanglei Thamnapokpi Maril which originates from Leimakhong hill and runs through villages such as Kanto Sabal and Khurkhul in Sekmai Assembly Constituency, Imphal West District. The Chief Minister’s Office directed the departments concerned to take “immediate necessary action to prevent an environment calamity, making use of all available resources in terms of machinery, manpower and expertise. Upon which heavy machinery was deployed to prevent contamination of Imphal river and Nambul river by diverting flow of the water in the affected stream towards nearby paddy-fields.
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The fuel leakage has contaminated the stream water and rendered it unusable for now, coupled with one of the biggest environmental damages created by the leakage. In the aftermath of Manipur violence which erupted on May 3, locals of Khurkhul, Senjam Chirang and Kameng areas in the valley are reeling under water scarcity, after pipelines of Water Supply schemes in these areas were cut off and source of rivers running through these areas were allegedly blocked by Kuki miscreants.
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