Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema District Collector Himanshu Shukla on Friday directed officials of Reliance, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) to replace old pipelines in the Konaseema region to ensure the safety of local communities and prevent mishaps.
On Friday, the Collector chaired a District Crisis Group meeting where he reviewed the challenges faced by the oil and natural gas exploration firms and measures to be taken to prevent frequent gas leakage from the existing pipelines being operated by Reliance, ONGC and GAIL.
According to an official release issued by the Collector, GAIL operates pipelines extending to a length of 430 km, while ONGC operates 120 km of pipelines. Reliance operates a 36-km pipeline in the Konaseema region.
“All the existing pipelines, which were laid four decades ago, should be replaced by the oil and natural gas exploration firms in the Konaseema region, in which the exploration activity in is progress in 17 sites,” said Mr. Shukla.
“Gas leakages are being reported frequently due to the operation of the old pipeline systems. ONGC should monitor the pipeline system online on the lines of the Reliance Group,” said Mr. Shukla. District Revenue Officer Ch. Sattibabu and representatives of the oil and natural gas firms were present.
