Illegal pipeline tapping in northwestern India has filled wells with petrol damaging crops and killing wildlife.

Farmers in Saswad village in Maharashtra were horrified earlier this week to find their water sources had turned reddish-brown and had frogs, birds and fish floating dead on the surface.

Crops that are irrigated from the same wells were damaged, according to local reports.

Police discovered thieves had drilled holes in a nearby pipeline owned by the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and made off with the fuel.

The criminals, however, allowed around 2,000 litres of petrol to spill into the local area.

Police have cordoned off the scene and are emptying the wells using pumps.

Petrol prices have hit record highs across India in recent days.

In Saswad village of Satara district in Maharashtra farmers were shocked to see that the colour of the water in their wells were changed , they even got more surprised when the realised that what they are thinking are water with changed colour is actually petrol . What is more shocking is that the corps which they irrigate using this well water also got damaged . Fish and birds also died .
When the village informed the police about the smell the satara police detected that some thieves have drilled hole in petrol pipeline of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation limited to steal off the petrol .
Petrol coming out of the hole gathered into well . According to local reports there was about 4 inch layer of petrol into well . The area has been sealed by police and the officials are emptying the well from petrol using machines . According to local police approx 2000 litre of petrol spilled the area .
This pipeline is of 223 km from Mumbai –Pune solapur and which also goes from this village area . In india petrol price are soaring up and in some districts of Maharashtra it has crossed 100 marks .