The event took place near Bailupete Mosque in Kandavara village within the Mangaluru taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, where an earth mover, tasked with desilting a government drainage channel, hit the underground pipeline, officials reported. Thankfully, no gas leak or fire occurred, they confirmed.
As per officials, the desilting initiative was funded by local entrepreneur Harish Shetty. While digging, workers found that the HPCL LPG pipeline, which transports gas from Mangaluru to Hassan, was installed at a relatively shallow depth.
Local residents claimed that the pipeline was positioned just two-and-a-half feet beneath the surface, making it prone to accidental damage. They noted that pipelines from GAIL and Petronet in the vicinity were placed at much deeper levels, enhancing their safety.
In response to complaints from villagers, HPCL Safety Officer Nayan Pal visited the location for an inspection. Engaging with local residents, he mentioned that the pipeline had been laid about ten years earlier, and shifts in the area’s geographical conditions over time might have diminished the soil cover above it.
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After the incident, village panchayat leaders have requested HPCL to reinstall the pipeline at a minimum depth of 10 feet and to provide a concrete protective cover above it to avert similar occurrences in the future.
In response to their request, Pal assured the community that the damaged section would be promptly repaired. He also indicated that a report would be forwarded to higher authorities regarding the feasibility of laying the pipeline at a deeper level.
