IndianOil steps up operations at Leh
New Delhi   19-Aug-2010

In the aftermath of the cloud-burst that has devastated the town of Leh and its surrounding villages, bringing untold misery to the local residents as well as tourists, the IndianOil team stationed in the region is working shoulder to shoulder with the Defence and civilian authorities in the rescue and relief operations from the midnight on 5th August, 2010. The unprecedented catastrophe of flash-floods and mudslide in a relatively dry area caught everyone by surprise.

The only petroleum company to have established its infrastructure in this inhospitable terrain and operating since the 1970s, IndianOil personnel are working as foot-soldiers along with the work-force of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CRPF), DGBR units, the Indian Army and the Air Force. Reaching petroleum products to the world's highest altitude bulk storage depot, Aviation Fuelling Station, LPG bottling plant and petrol pumps set up by IndianOil in the highly inaccessible, mountainous regions of Jammu & Kashmir involves tough logistics.

In the face of inclement weather and severely damaged roads, IndianOil officers have been working without a break since the day of the tragedy. With most of the contract workers and vehicle drivers moving away to safer areas, the officers themselves are doubling up for all duties. While ensuring smooth supply of petroleum products, including LPG cooking gas, IndianOil is providing products on credit basis to cash-strapped customers.

IndianOil's petroleum bulk storage depot, located 3 km from Leh town at an altitude of 3,459 metres (11,350 ft), is doing its best to maintain regular operations within the limitations of the formidable circumstances.

Operations at IndianOil's LPG bottling plant, situated about 10 km from Leh town on the Leh-Kargil highway, are being maintained against all possible physical and environmental odds. To take care of the growing local demand for LPG, the tankage at the plant had been topped up and an additional 30,000 cylinders have been added as buffer stock.

The personnel manning IndianOil's aviation fuel station (AFS) are working without a break since resumption of operations at Leh airport on 7th August, to cope with the increase in flights pressed into service for the safe passage of injured residents and stranded tourists. Prompt re-fuelling of civilian and IAF flights bringing in relief and rescue material has ensured normalcy in operations despite the crisis. Having topped up all its tanks in July, the AFS is operating at near full fuel capacity.

The recent natural calamity has severely affected IndianOil's unique 'advance winter-stocking' exercise undertaken from May to October every year to build up petroleum stocks in the region for supplies to the Defence Services and for meeting civilian requirements in winter months. Tank-trucks plying petroleum products to these areas from Ambala and Jammu carry only part load due to gradient restrictions and normally take almost 8 to 10 days for one round-trip. The high-altitude areas become inaccessible from November to April when the Rohtang and Zozilla passes connecting them to the rest of India are closed due to heavy snowfall.

IndianOil's Punjab State Office has rushed a team to the region to reinforce the efforts of the local team in maintaining uninterrupted services and supply of petroleum products, to support the relief and rescue efforts as well as to ensure that the people of Leh do not suffer any hardships for lack of petroleum fuels in the coming winter months.