NEW DELHI: Every yr round mid-May, a sequence of about 1,000 tankers roll out daily for the border regions of Jammu & Kashmir and better reaches of Himachal Pradesh from supply points of state-run gasoline outlets in Punjab and Haryana. In a race against time, those tankers lift 1000's of litres of kitchen, motor and jet fuels to replenish garage depots in far flung locations of Ladakh in J&Ok and Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh before the high mountain passes start freezing over by means of end-October, separating the spaces from the remainder of the rustic for six months.
During those lengthy, harsh winters, the stockpiles created with the help of those tankers gasoline existence and keep lakhs of defence team of workers guarding the borders with Pakistan and China at the transfer. Senior executives of IndianOil, which is the principle supplier, declare the annual stocking exercise as the one such operation currently on globally.
They say the ‘Advance Winter Stocking (AWS)’ to be a bigger operation than the Berlin Airlift with regards to tonnage hauled till date. Months of meticulous planning, co-ordination with several executive palms and nimble logistics control due to the fickle weather goes in the back of the exercise. The good fortune of AWS is dependent upon the younger executives manning the far flung depots, away from home and circle of relatives, and the tanker drivers who brave crumbling roads snaking up high mountains, snow and streams to deliver gasoline to those far flung regions.
“It is hard to respire in the skinny air. Even with 50% load, tankers combat to barter the passes as engines gasp for oxygen. There are breakdowns. Death lurks in the back of every hairpin bend. But still we do it as this is a provider to the rustic,” said Kuljit Singh, 54, plying the routes to Leh for the last 17 years.
“I used to be afraid to start with. Not to any extent further. Driving for wintry weather stocking means income for 4-5 months,” said Kuldip Singh, 30, every other tanker motive force who has been part of wintry weather stocking for 4 years. According to Kuljit although, issues are bettering. “The tankers are getting higher and more powerful. Roads have stepped forward in the last 4 years. But we are still stranded in case of a breakdown or landslides. There is no mobile provider. That’s why at least two tankers all the time go back and forth together,” Kuljit said.
The tankers take three days to succeed in their destination and straight away flip back after unloading to select up every other consignment. “For those 4-5 months, existence becomes a protracted highway for us,” he said.
During those lengthy, harsh winters, the stockpiles created with the help of those tankers gasoline existence and keep lakhs of defence team of workers guarding the borders with Pakistan and China at the transfer. Senior executives of IndianOil, which is the principle supplier, declare the annual stocking exercise as the one such operation currently on globally.
They say the ‘Advance Winter Stocking (AWS)’ to be a bigger operation than the Berlin Airlift with regards to tonnage hauled till date. Months of meticulous planning, co-ordination with several executive palms and nimble logistics control due to the fickle weather goes in the back of the exercise. The good fortune of AWS is dependent upon the younger executives manning the far flung depots, away from home and circle of relatives, and the tanker drivers who brave crumbling roads snaking up high mountains, snow and streams to deliver gasoline to those far flung regions.
“It is hard to respire in the skinny air. Even with 50% load, tankers combat to barter the passes as engines gasp for oxygen. There are breakdowns. Death lurks in the back of every hairpin bend. But still we do it as this is a provider to the rustic,” said Kuljit Singh, 54, plying the routes to Leh for the last 17 years.
“I used to be afraid to start with. Not to any extent further. Driving for wintry weather stocking means income for 4-5 months,” said Kuldip Singh, 30, every other tanker motive force who has been part of wintry weather stocking for 4 years. According to Kuljit although, issues are bettering. “The tankers are getting higher and more powerful. Roads have stepped forward in the last 4 years. But we are still stranded in case of a breakdown or landslides. There is no mobile provider. That’s why at least two tankers all the time go back and forth together,” Kuljit said.
The tankers take three days to succeed in their destination and straight away flip back after unloading to select up every other consignment. “For those 4-5 months, existence becomes a protracted highway for us,” he said.
Winter’s coming: Oil tankers race against time
![Winter’s coming: Oil tankers race against time]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
August 14, 2018
Rating:
