By Dnbir
IMPHAL, June 7: Several oil transporter bodies today lamented that the infrastructure provided at the new parking lot for oil tankers at Koirengei FCS godown, as allotted by the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (CAF&PD) are substandard.
A joint team comprising of several oil transporter bodies, officials of Consumer Affair, Food & Public Distribution (CAF&PD) and Imphal Depot today inspected the newly allotted parking space for the loaded tank trucks (TT).
The team was led by additional secretary, CAF&PD, Government of Manipur, and included representatives of the All Manipur Petroleum Product Transporters Association, All Manipur Petroleum Transporters Association, All Manipur Petroleum Tankers Drivers Union and SDM, Imphal Depot and AM (Ops), Imphal Depot.
Today’s inspection was conducted following instruction of the CAF&PD minister, M Okendro to shift the tankers parking lot from the Inter State Bus Terminus, Khuman Lampak to Koirengei yesterday.
Sources said that five loaded tankers were used for trail run today to check the standard of the godown premises, road and parking area.
However, the black topping was easily damaged during the run, due to its poor quality, informed sources.
It is also learnt that the compaction of soil, WBM and Black topping is yet to be completed at the north-east, south east and south west corner.
The entrance gate of the FCS Koirengei godown is very narrow, not even providing the turning radius (minimum turning path) of tank trucks (20 KL capacity) for free movement, sources claimed.
Since the turning radius at the narrow gate is inadequate, road side guards should be provided so as to avert the tank trucks from skidding or slipping into the roadside drains, but such guards are also missing, sources added.
The solar lights installed at the godown were also found to be damaged and the compound totally dark at night.
During the inspection it was also found that there are only four existing toilets, which is inadequate for the approximately 1000 TT crew of the IOCL tankers, informed the source.
Further according to the source, the tankers have asked for additional security arrangement to be deployed to safeguard the tank trucks as they carry highly inflammable and vulnerable commodities.