TEAM HERALD
PONDA: The natural gas pipeline passing through Priol constituency has been exposed by soil erosion caused due to heavy rains at Orgao-Ponda, raising serious concerns pertaining to safety once gas is supplied through the pipeline.
Locals have complained that the soil erosion took place after the contractor blocked the roadside drain and the soil damaged plantations and agricultural land in low-lying areas at Orgao.
According to locals, the pipeline is a project of the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) and passes through the Orgao hillock in Tivrem-Orgao Panchayat.
Locals accused the contractor of blocking the roadside drain during construction activity, which forced the rainwater to change its path leading to the soil erosion.
As a result, about 20 metres of the pipeline, which was buried over a metre deep, now lies exposed.
Residents are worried that the gas pipeline could pose a serious threat to people in the village, adding that the soil erosion could also destroy large arecanut cultivations and agricultural land in the area.
“There is imminent danger to the lives of people and their livestock, as the pipeline is easily exposed to nature’s fury. There is a huge boulder near the pipeline and with continuous rains, the boulder could come down on it. Our houses are located barely a kilometre away. Government should act swiftly to avoid any untoward incident,” Panch Vithoba Dessai told Herald.
Dessai said the authorities had assured that all matters pertaining to safety would be looked into before and after the project was completed.
“Six months have passed since the project is ready and all these assurances have turned out to be empty promises,” he added.
