GAIL pipeline fire: Leaks from crumbling pipes worrying
Gas pipelines are not monitored on a regular basis in India
By : amar tejaswi
Update: 2014-06-28 04:52 GMT
Hyderabad: With pipelines for transport of natural gas being laid decades ago, corrosion accounts for nearly 20 to 25 per cent of the leakages in pipelines and several other Grade-3 leakages which are not hazardous. However, there are no safety legislations or even checks to measure or find out the exact location of the leaks.
Several legislations have been proposed in Western countries that fix deadlines for companies to repair old pipelines or replace them. Gas companies would be required to monitor and repair pipelines, especially those passing through or near human habitats. Unfortunately, there are no such proposed legislations in India and pipelines continue to rot and crumble.
There are no methods to locate where the pipeline is crumbling and a leak needs to be plugged. Experts say this was a hazardous leak that caught fire, but several other smaller Grade-3 leaks could be present along many pipelines. Grade 3 leaks are non-hazardous and don’t pose an immediate threat.
Experts say leakages are a potential hazard to the environment as well. Natural gas or methane, escaping slowly from small fractures in pipelines due to corrosion contribute to climate change nearly 30 to 40 times more than carbon dioxide. However, the government has also been ignoring any framework for natural gas companies to place checks for leakages. Even petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan admitted he was surprised that there is no statutory body to ensure safety.
“The lack of a statutory authority to ensure safety and security is a cause for concern,” Mr Pradhan said.