Panvel residents aghast at railways' plan to build tracks over high-pressure natural gas pipeline
Panvel residents aghast at railways' plan to build tracks over high-pressure natural gas pipeline
Far away from the hustle and bustle of Greater Mumbai, advocate Karim Vakil's getaway home in Panvel made the idea of retirement seem sweeter.
But now Vakil can barely sleep in his sprawling farmhouse at Wakdi village for fear of the disaster that may befall the area if the Indian Railways' plan for a dedicated freight corridor falls into place.
Under this corridor, which will stretch between the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Uran and New Delhi, lies a high-pressure gas pipeline that passes between Dahej in Gujarat and Uran, only six feet below the ground.
This makes digging in the area very dangerous, as a hit to the high-pressure pipeline can lead to an explosion
(see box).
"We aren't allowed to even plant trees within a 30m distance of the gas pipeline, but the railway wants to acquire this land to make rail tracks.
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Home Truth: Karim Vakil stands in the area under which the pipeline passes. His farmhouseu00a0will be endangered if the dedicated freight corridor comes up |
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The others: The railway tracks are likely to pass over this pond and surrounding farms. Farmers in the area say they aren't even allowed to plant trees within a 30m distance of the pipeline for fear of an explosion. |
Are we waiting for a tragedy? Was the toll from that incident not enough?" asked a panicky Vakil, who has appealed to Union Railway Minister Mamta Bannerjee to look into the matter.
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Loss of livelihoodMeanwhile, this line will also mean a loss of livelihood for several others. Heeru Mhatre of Chiple Bhokarpada, another village near Panvel, claimed he would commit suicide if he lost his land to the railways.
Mhatre and other landowners in the area believe the track will run over the pipeline based on the parcels of land the railways hope to acquire from them.
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The railways have placed notices in newspapers about the same.
"The land is being taken from us to construct a rail track that is of no help to the locals.
They also plan to build an embankment for the rail track, which will not allow the flow of water and result in flooding. We do not want to die of hunger and then of flooding," said Mhatre.
The villages of Panvel were under water for more than a week during the 26/7 deluge.
Along with the farms, the famous Swapna Nagri studios, where movies like Silsila and others were shot, will also be affected, as the rail route passes bang through the centre of it.
Chief Project Manager D S Rana and assistant manager P M Asai for the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation (DFCC), however, refused to comment.
DamagesThe site engineer of Gas Authority Of India Ltd (GAIL), Thomas Jose, said the rail line wouldn't have any direct affect on the gas pipeline, but added, "If the railways lay an electrical circuit below the ground and if there is a spark, it could lead to trouble. However, we are ready to tackle all sorts of situations."
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But a GAIL source from the control room handling the pipeline had a different story to tell. "The pipe carries nearly 20 million cubic metric tonnes of Natural Gas everyday and at any given time the pressure is 90 kg.
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If the electricity reaches the pipe, it could lead to an explosion. In case of an explosion, everything within a four-kilometre radius [a conservative estimate] will be affected. The damage will be serious," said the source.
