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Tragedy in the pipeline?
Updated On: 03 September, 2009 07:55 AM IST | | Varun Singh and Vinod Kumar Menon
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. Read Next Story Trending StoriesLatest Photos |
