Huge oil spill on busy Masab Tank road disrupts traffic

Commuters heading on the Masab Tank stretch were left stranded in a huge traffic jam as a negligent driver caused an oil spill on Wednesday morning. The driver of the vehicle was booked for negligence as four of the seven plastic barrels of engine oil was spilled on the busy road, causing inconvenience to people, besides injuring a few bikers who skidded off the road.

Officials from the Asif Nagar traffic police said that at around 5:30 a.m., Abhimanyu, 30, the driver of a lorry, was carrying engine oil in seven plastic barrels, weighing about 18 tonnes. Of the seven, around four barrels fell off the road and spilled oil across half-a-kilometre near NMDC, Masab Tank.

“The driver was trying to take a left turn on the curved road at a high speed when the oil barrels, which were not strapped properly, fell on the road. Within half-an-hour, the local patrol team reached the spot, followed by other traffic officials, who coordinated with the GHMC authorities to fix the mess,” said the inspector of Asif Nagar Traffic police, G. Kashi

Officials covering the oil patch on the road with sand to avoid accidents.

The officials had to halt the traffic heading towards the Masab Tank flyover for about an hour in the morning to take up an operation to cover the oil patches on the road with sand to avoid accidents. “There were a few bikers which skidded in the morning before we could stop and divert the traffic on alternate routes. No major injuries or mishaps were reported. We ordered the patrol team to help in coordinating the diversions for the commuters heading towards Mahaveer Hospital route,” said VP Saikanth from Asif Nagar traffic police, who helped in traffic diversions. 

The traffic police put up signages for diversions and said that the commuters from Mehdipatnam heading towards Masab Tank were asked to take a left towards Pocham Basti lane, which takes them to Khaja mansion. The diversions were in place till around 10:30 a.m., following which slow movement of traffic was seen till afternoon before the situation returned to normalcy. 

It was also revealed that the driver did not follow any precautionary measures like filling the oil in the iron barrels, nor did he tie them properly, said Masab Tank police. “He revealed that he was following the orders of his employer, Muneer, and was transporting the barrels from Timmapur to Balnagar,” added the police, who booked him for negligence.