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The toll in the GAIL pipeline blast at Nagaram village in the Konaseema area of East Godavari district rose to 19 on Sunday, with one more of the injured succumbing to burn injuries in a local private hospital, and at least six are in a critical condition in different hospitals. The incident occurred at the village on Friday claiming 15 lives on the spot and subsequently four more died in hospitals.
The village is limping back to normalcy but there is widespread anger at ONGC and GAIL for what they perceive to be "gross negligence". The locals are demanding that the mini refinery of ONGC and the gas collection station should be relocated, as they are now too close to the village for comfort. There is also concern over the safety of several villages in the Konaseema area, as GAIL pipelines criss-cross the entire area.
An expert committee headed by R.P Singh visited the area on Saturday and started the probe into the incident and the report may be submiitted in a few days, it is learnt. A team of GAIL officials also met East Godavari collector Neetu Prasad and assured her that all steps would be taken to ensure the safety of the pipelines in the Konaseema area and elsewhere in the district.
GAIL on Sunday suspended 2 officials - General Manager Pankaj Patel and Deputy General Manager Rakesh Prasad - in connection with the Nagaram pipeline blast which claimed 19 lives so far. Investigation is going on into the incident.
The local people allege that the affected pipeline had developed some problem a few months ago and even though GAIL officials had been informed they did not respond properly and it was only fixed temporarily, leading to the disaster on Friday. Gas escaped out of the pipeline on Thursday night and engulfed the area. It was ignited on Friday morning when a tea vendor lit a stove in the vicinity of the gas collection station of the ONGC. Fortunately, the fire did not spread to the GCS and the mini refinery. The villagers of Nagaram and nearby villages are therefore on tenterhooks, and they want the GCS and mini refinery to be relocated.
The accident left a trail of destruction in the area, and there was heavy damage to the flora and fauna. More than 300 birds - pond herons, cranes and others - perished in the fire and the nearby coconut groves and paddy fields were completely burnt. The houses in the vicinity were also ruined, some of them beyond repair.
The GAIL officials handed over a cheque for Rs 3.89 crore to East Godavari collector for paying compensation to some of the victims' families. The Government announced ex gratia of Rs 25 lakhs to the next of kin of those who died in the accident. The police registered a case against GAIL officials.
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