AGARTALA, December 12 (TIWN): Oil spill in river Gomati at last shut down the water treatment plants on Thursday. The oil spill has been detected on Tuesday again, when the residents of Amarpur, Jatanbari and Udaipur witnessed thick layers of oil hovering in the river water. The shutdown of the water treatment plants caused a drinking water crisis at large, though some water tankers have been placed in the affected areas by the authorities. The water treatment plants shutdown may take a couple of days more to resume, said DWS official.Talking to TIWN today, the ONGC Asset Manager V.P. Mahawar informed that the ONGC chemist team during their examination of the oil spill on Wednesday found the oil to be of mobile type and it is lubricating oil which is generally used in turbines or engines. Besides, those are all waste oil from the hydal project that has been drained on the river, said Mahawar. He also said that those oils had been detected floating on a portion of stagnant water in the river Gomati.

Later talking to TIWN today, the Drinking Water & Sanitation (DWS) Chief Engineer B.K. Debbarma said that the water tankers have been placed at Udaipur, Amarpur, Jatanbari, Melagarh and Sonamura for the supply of drinking water. Asked about the recent condition of the water treatment plants, he said that the plants are undergoing regular testing and maintenance and it may take some couple of days more to resume supply of water.

Earlier, talking to TIWN about the issue ONGC Asset Manager V.P. Mahawar said that getting an alarm of the oil spill in the river Gomati on Tuesday, ONGC had dispatched a chemist team to examine the oil spill. He further added that the ONGC had not drilled any well there in Gomati, therefore it needs to be examined.

The Gomti River along with seven other rivers in Tripura flows to Bangladesh. The 10 MW capacity Gomti hydel power project was commissioned in 1974.

DWS Minister Ratan Bhowmik taking stock of situation in Udaipur. TIWN Pic Dec 12