Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Nov 10: After complaints about oil leakage in several wells located at Kanekere near Deralakatte emerged, and the people blamed a petrol bunk operating near Deralakatte Junction for the lapse, officials of oil companies undertook detailed study. The bunk was asked to stop operations for a day. The officials have concluded that there has been no leakage of petroleum products from this particular petrol bunk.

Samples of water from the wells have now been taken away by a team of officials led by Jayaprakash Nayak belonging to the department of environment for finding out causes for the phenomenon. The officials said that the water samples would be tested at Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd laboratory here and based on the report, further steps would be taken.

The locals, who were finding that the water from the wells appeared to have been contaminated with petrol, and it was highly combustible, were certain that the petrol bunk was the culprit. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd officials, environmentalists and gram panchayat officials jointly conducted a check on Thursday by keeping the petrol bunk closed and found that the bunk did not have any leakage. However, now that they have been proved wrong, the villagers are eager to find out what made their well water unfit for consumption.

Now the suspicion has turned towards some multi-storied buildings, Morarjee Desai school and private buildings at Deralakatte. Some have now suspected that effluents from these buildings might have caused the oily substance to get mixed with well water. They are angry at the inaction of the local administration towards their plight.