MNGL to write to PMC about frequent gas leaks during developmental projects
According to the PMC fire department, it has dealt with more than 100 fires caused by gas leaks from MNGL pipelines across the city in the past four years
Following the June 21 gas leak on Junglee Maharaj (J M) Road, Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) officials are blaming the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for not taking precautions and failing to inform the MNGL when digging roads. So much so that the MNGL is now planning to send a letter to the PMC about frequent gas leaks during developmental projects. According to the PMC fire department, it has dealt with more than 100 fires caused by gas leaks from MNGL pipelines across the city in the past four years.
In the latest gas leak incident on June 21, a gas leak from a MNGL pipe on J M Road in Shivajinagar sparked panic among residents even as no casualties were reported. From 2020 to March 2024, the PMC has registered a total 140 fire incidents due to gas leaks from MNGL pipelines across the city. Last year, the number was 50, which is the highest in the past four years.
As per MNGL officials, supply of domestic pipe natural gas (PNG) commenced in the city in 2009 and today, infrastructure has been created for more than 6 lakh households in more than 10,000 societies in the PMC and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) limits. MNGL has laid down over 2,300 kilometre of underground pipelines in the PMC and PCMC limits.
A senior MNGL official said, “Most of such incidents take place in road development, drainage lines, electricity cables and water pipe laying work. Since the last two or three years, the number of such incidents has increased due to a lot of development work being carried out in the city. We are continuously coordinating with different agencies to avoid such incidents. Sometimes it works but most of the time, it doesn’t.” MNGL officials said that there are nearly 250 developmental works underway within the PMC limits alone.
Another senior official from operations and maintenance (O and M), MNGL, said, “After the gas leak incident on J M Road, we instructed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to take precautions to avoid similar situations that cause panic. We are now sending official letters regarding these actions. Usually, we fine third-party contractors for damaging MNGL pipelines due to negligence. In January, we imposed a fine on the contractor responsible for damaging the pipeline at Rajaram Bridge on Sinhagad Road where a fire broke out and took four hours to control. We also impose fines for unauthorised digging and gas pipeline damage.”
“The J M Road incident was not dangerous, but people panicked because it is a busy area. We have laid down 2,500 kilometres of gas pipeline across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. According to industrial standards, 10 gas leak incidents per 100 km are acceptable. Our statistics show we are below this standard. We train around 1,000 JCB operators each year on what kind of precautions to take while digging roads as they handle excavation work and damage gas pipelines. This is a continuous process,” the senior official said.
Abhijit Dombe, executive engineer of the PMC road department, said, “Before any work begins, we give strict instructions to contractors to take precautions during excavation. Till date, we have not fined any contractor for damaging a MNGL gas pipeline. However, in serious cases, we impose fines.”
“We have given standing instructions to contractors and our officials to inform the MNGL and MSEDCL before starting any road works and to begin under the supervision of concerned officials,” Dombe said.
Gas leak incidents in Pune and PCMC areas
In July 2023, another MNGL pipeline gas leak occurred on Salunkhe Vihar Road in the Kondhwa area of Pune, causing a fire. Though no casualties were reported, it caused temporary panic.
In January 2023, a gas pipeline at Rajaram Bridge on Sinhagad Road caught fire. Firefighters from the Pune fire brigade, with help from the MNGL team, extinguished the flames in an operation that lasted about four hours. No casualties were reported.
In 2021, there were at least eight gas pipeline leaks reported in the Pimple Gurav area. On December 22, a major incident was averted at Ram Krishna Chowk when a gas pipeline was damaged near the parked vehicles. The gas spread, causing panic among residents.
