JAGATSINGHPUR: A spate of gas leakages from underground pipeline network in Jagatsinghpur town has sparked fear - resentment as well - among residents.
Reckless excavation by contractors working for civic and government agencies is attributed to be the reason for such preventable mishaps.
On Friday, labourers engaged in road construction at Ohal village in ward no 6 allegedly damaged a gas pipeline and covered it with soil without reporting the incident. Panic followed when firecrackers burst during a wedding procession ignited the leaked gas. Engineers of Bharat Gas Resources Limited (BGRL) rushed to the spot and managed to plug the leakage.
In another incident, a pipeline was damaged during the erection of an electric pole.
The leakages are reportedly occurring during road construction, drain works, tube well installation and erection of electric poles by contractors engaged by TPCODL, Jagatsinghpur municipality and other agencies.
Sources said BGRL laid the underground gas pipeline from Paradip to Jagatsinghpur to supply gas to consumers as well as CNG stations. With the work complete, around 1,200 households under municipality limits have been provided connection against a target of 7,000.
Since the pipeline network runs beneath several municipal roads, BGRL adopted multiple safety measures by deploying patrolling teams, installing route markers and plate indicators.
BGRL site engineer Subhendu Matia said the leakages were caused by unauthorised excavation. “We have installed safety markers and toll-free numbers with ‘Dial Before Digging’ messages and issued written instructions to all concerned departments to ensure manual digging near gas pipelines. The leakage in ward no 6 has been successfully plugged,” he said.