Archive · 15 Aug 2026
Barmer refinery smoke repeat sparks Congress-HPCL blame dispute
On Friday evening, people saw smoke at a very big oil refinery in Barmer, India.
This is the second time in four months that this has happened.
The refinery is called the HRRL Refinery, and it cost a huge amount of money to build.
Some people from the Congress party think the smoke keeps happening because the refinery was opened too quickly, in a big hurry, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The company that runs the refinery, called HPCL, says there was actually no fire.
They say some oil spilled out of a machine called the Crude Distillation Unit.
The company quickly turned on its emergency safety system and sprayed water all around.
HPCL says the situation was brought under control very quickly.
So the two sides disagree about what happened: one side calls it a safety problem, and the other side calls it an oil spill that was handled properly.
Smoke was seen at the Rs 80,000 crore HRRL Refinery in Barmer's Pachpadra on the evening of August 14, the second such incident in four months.
Rajasthan Congress alleged the incident was caused by a 'hurried inauguration' of the project by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
HPCL stated there was no fire, but rather a hydrocarbon oil spillage observed in the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU).
The spillage was noticed around 6.45 pm, prompting HPCL to activate the emergency response system and deploy fire-water sprays from all directions.
HPCL said the situation was promptly brought under control by the refinery team as per safety norms.
- Who
- HPCL's HRRL Refinery team, Rajasthan Congress, and HPCL officials
- What
- Smoke was seen at the Crude Distillation Unit due to a hydrocarbon oil spillage, the second such incident in four months
- When
- Friday evening, August 14, around 6:45 pm
- Where
- HRRL Refinery, Pachpadra, Barmer, Rajasthan
- Why
- Congress alleges the incidents stem from a hurried inauguration by PM Modi, while HPCL says it was an oil spillage handled per safety norms
Rajasthan Congress
HPCL
Root cause of the incident
Rajasthan Congress
The recurring smoke incidents occur because of the 'hurried inauguration' of the refinery by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
HPCL
No fire occurred; the smoke was a hydrocarbon oil spillage in the CDU that was managed according to standard safety norms.
Seriousness of the event
Rajasthan Congress
Smoke at such a large Rs 80,000 crore project is a safety concern worthy of public scrutiny, especially as a repeat incident.
HPCL
The situation was promptly brought under control by the refinery team, with no fire involved.
- Refinery
- HRRL Refinery, Pachpadra, Barmer
- Project cost
- Rs 80,000 crore
- Incident
- Hydrocarbon oil spillage in Crude Distillation Unit (CDU)
- Date and time
- August 14, around 6:45 pm
- Repeat incident
- Second time in four months
- Response
- Emergency response system activated; fire-water sprays deployed from all directions
- Operator stance
- HPCL said there was no fire; situation promptly brought under control