Lok Sabha Question No. 217 (STARRED), answered on 2016-05-09
Subject: Safety Measures on GAIL Pipelines
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: R. GOPALAKRISHNAN, ANANDRAO  ADSUL

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 217

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 9.5.2016

## SAFETY MEASURES ON GAIL PIPELINES

## *217.    SHRI R. GOPALAKRISHNAN: SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

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- (a) whether the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) proposes to deploy Drones to guard its pipelines as part of higher safety measures;
- (b) if so, the details and the current status thereof and the expenditure likely to be incurred thereon;
- (c) the extent to which the proposed Drone project is likely to ensure the foolproof security of GAIL pipelines in the country;
- (d) the details of the accidents of GAIL pipelines reported during the last three years and the resultant  loss  of  life  and  property  therefrom  along  with  compensation  paid  to  each  victim, State/ UT-wise; and
- (e)  the  other  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  GAIL  for  safety  and  security  of  their  entire installations/vast  network  including  HBJ  pipeline  in  Madhya  Pradesh  to  prevent  such incidents in future?

## ANSWER

पेट्रोलियम और प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्रािय में राज् य मंत्ररी  स् िंत्र प्राार ( श्ररी  धमेन्द र प्रधा

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a) to (e) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  217  REGARDING  SAFETY  MEASURES  ON  GAIL PIPELINES  ASKED BY SHRI R. GOPALAKRISHNAN AND  SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL ,MPs TO BE ANSWERED ON MAY 09, 2016

(a) to (b):  Surveillance of vast network of pipelines across the country is required to ensure the  safety  &  reliability  of  pipelines  and  guard  against  sabotage,  exposure,  soil  erosion, excavation and construction works etc. Presently it is being achieved through regular periodic foot patrolling and air surveillance by hiring Helicopter Services on monthly basis. As line patrolling is extremely  difficult for pipeline sections passing through forests, rivers, environmentally  sensitive  areas  and  other  inaccessible  areas,  GAIL  (India)  Limited  has awarded an order for aerial surveillance of 200 kilometers for the Hazira Vijaipur Jagdishpur (HVJ)/ Dahej Vijaipur (DVPL) pipelines with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle  (UAV)/Drone as a Pilot Project. The order has been placed on M/s Air Service India at an expected expenditure of around Rs 1.38 Crores. This pilot project will carry out the air surveillance by using high resolution camera/infrared camera.

(c):  Does not arise as the project is on pilot basis.

(d)    The  details  of  accidents  occurred  in  GAIL  pipeline  during  last  three  years  are  at Annexure.

(e) GAIL  is  operating  its  gas  pipelines  as  per  national  and  international  codes  and standards viz., American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code B31.8, Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD) guidelines and safety standards prescribed by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO). GAIL has formulated a comprehensive Maintenance Policy  &  Guidelines  in  accordance  with  above  mentioned  standards  for  maintaining  asset integrity and safe & reliable operations across the country on a sustainable basis.  The above adopted  practices  for  safe  operations  have  also  been  implemented  for  HVJ  pipelines  in Madhya Pradesh.

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION  NO.  217  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  9.5.2016  REGARDING  SAFETY MEASURES ON GAIL PIPELINES

The accidents of GAIL Pipelines State/UT wise reported during the last three years are as under:-

## 1) Year 2013-2014

Minor Incident: 02

Major Incident: 01

## I. State: Haryana

17.07.2013: Fire Incident at Maruti Udyog Limited Terminal, Gurgaon during pigging operation. There was no loss of life and property.

## II. State: Gujarat

25.08.2013: The 30' dia DUPL Natural Gas pipeline got ruptured and washed away across Narmada River in Bharuch district (Gujarat) due to heavy flood & water flow in river. No Human injury. Some pipeline section was washed out in flooded river.

## III. State: Andhra Pardesh

06.03.2014: Tatipaka Base. 2 No. (Ch.0.2 KM and 5.8 KM) Pinhole leaks occurred on 18" TPK-Lanco Pipeline and the same were attended by pad/sleeve welding without causing any interruption to downstream consumers. No loss of life or property.

## 2) Year 2014-2015

Minor Incident: 11

Major Incident: 03

## State: Andhra Pardesh

- I. 20.04.2014:  Minor gas leakage occurred from a pinhole in 8' Narsapuram - Kovvuru Pipeline. The  leak  was arrested by putting leak clamp without causing any interruption to downstream consumers. No loss of life and property.
- II. 01.05.2014:  Minor  gas  leakage  occurred  from  a  pinhole  in  18'  Tatipaka-Lanco Pipeline (Ch. 5.1 KM) near Kadali Village Tatipaka Base. The leak was arrested by sleeve welding. No loss of life and property.
- III. 02.06.2014:  Minor  gas  leakage  occurred  from  a  pinhole  in  18'  Tatipaka-Lanco pipeline (Ch. 2.9 KM) near Gudapalli Tatipaka Base. The leak was arrested by sleeve welding. No loss of life and property.
- IV. 27-06-2014: There was a fire & burst in GAIL's 18'x 205 Km Tatipaka - Kondapalli Gas Pipeline at Nagaram Village nearby Tatipaka Terminal in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh. 22 people lost life and 18 people were injured. Compensation of Rs  20  lacs  to  each  deceased  and  5  lacs  to  each  injured  was  paid.  Entire  Medical expenses during hospitalization and also for follow up post discharge from hospital were borne by GAIL. Compensation around 2.965 crore was paid against damages to houses, household items, trees etc.
- V. 26.07.2014: Minor Fire occurred in SV-05 while doing hot jobs at SV-05 K. Cheruvu, Kakinada Base. The same was immediately extinguished. No loss of life and property.
- I. 23.06.2014:  Near  shahdara  drain  Yamuna  river  between  SV-67-68  Noida.  LPG leakage from ¾' drain point of bypass line (12') at HDD site was reported. The work was being carried out by M/s Trenchless Services Pvt. Ltd. The drain valve of bypass line  was  hit  &  damaged  by  new  pipeline  while  line  shifting.  No  loss  of  life  and property.
- I. 05.07.2014:  Leakage  is  observed  in  8'  Gas  Pipeline  between  SK\_CTF  and  GMS Kadi, inside Compound of Green City Park Society. No loss of life and property.
- I. 28.07.2014: At Nasirabad station (Rajasthan), a minor Fire in Exhaust outlet of Fire Water Pump 104 due to presence of some dry leaf material in the exhaust stack pipe. No loss of life and property.
- I. 13.08.2014:  A  Truck  carrying  the  fly  ash  got  skidded  and  fell  over  SV-2  at  Burari (Delhi) where the Road expansion works are under progress by CPWD. No gas leak. The truck got lifted by cranes after isolation of Gas pipeline section. No loss of life and property.
- II. 16.01.2015:  Major Fire occurred on 12' DESU-Maruti Natural Gas Pipeline between SV-11 & 10 at NCR, due to drilling by third party on the road beneath which pipeline was passing through a casing. There was no personal injury to anybody. 03 nos Cars, 01 Auto Rickshaw and 02 trees burnt due to gas fire.

## State: Uttar Pardesh

## State: Gujarat

## State: Rajasthan

## State: Delhi

## UT: Puduchery

- I. 28.10.2014: Minor gas leakage 6' pipeline at Kattar river crossing of Narimanam  Kamalapuram Pipeline. No loss of life and property.
- I. 19.12.2014:  Gas  leakage  in  36"  HVJ  Natural  Gas  pipeline  was  occurred  due  to Borewell drilling by third party in village Harnavada, Ujjain district (MP). No loss of life and property.
- II. 11.02.2015:  Jet  Fire  occurred  in  Heater  -  B  of  Fuel  Gas  Skid,  Branch  Line,  HVJ Compressor Station, Vijaipur, Guna district (MP). No loss of life and property
- III. 31.03.2015:  Minor  Gas  leakage  due  to  pinhole  in  Jamnagar  Loni  Pipeline  at  Ch. 1018.31 near IP-4, Alwar (Rajasthan). Leakage attended by fixing leak clamp. No loss of life and property

State: Madhya Pradesh

## 3) Year 2015-2016

Minor Incident: 07

Major Incident: 02

State: Telangana

- I. 04.04.2015: During pig retrieval activity at IP-2, Suryapet, one GAIL employee and one  contract  employee  lost  their  lives  and  one  GAIL  employee  and  two  contract personnel  got  injured.    Compensation  to  the  GAIL  employees  paid  as  per  the company  rule.  Rs.  5  lacs  were  paid  to  the  keen  of  deceased  compensation  to  the contract employee. All medical expenses were born for the injured.
- II. 7.10.2015 an incident of minor LPG leak occurred at VSPL SV 29 along the VSPL LPG  bypass  line.  This  has  occurred  at  IP-Z  of  VSPL  i.e.  10"  LPG  pipeline  at Chainage 464.479 Kms at Kannaram, Suryapet Mandal, Dist, Nalgonda (TS). No loss of life and property
- I. 11.05.2015:  Minor  leakage  occurred  in  AUPL  near  Pidodara  Village,  Ankleswar (Gujarat) in ONGC common ROU.  The damage pipeline section was replaced. No loss of life and property.
- II. 31.03.2016: Minor natural Gas leakage was occurred near Tap off from DVPL-1 to GFL/GACL at Vadodara (Gujarat). The gas leakage point was repaired and resumed gas supply. No loss of life and property.
- I. 13.07.2015:  Minor leakage occurred in impulse line at SV-10 Motibagh (Delhi) in DESU-  Maruti  Pipeline.  Gas  supply  stopped  in  affected  section  and  new  Section valve (SV) installed. No loss of life and property

## State: Gujarat

State: Delhi

## State: Andhra Pardesh

- I. 02.11.2015:  Minor gas leakage occurred in 18' Mortha-Lanco Kondapalli natural gas pipeline due to pine hole at Ch-141, near Polavarm canal KG Basin (AP). No loss of life and property..
- I. 08.01.2016: Major Fire occurred on 08.01.2016 at Pithampur, near Indore, while the JCB deployed for repair work on GAIL's natural gas line; damaged 180 mm MDPE line  of  M/s  Avantika  Gas  Limited  running  parallel  to  GAIL's  line.  One  Contract worker  got  burn  injuries  and  One  Contract  site  supervisor  succumbed  to  his  burn injuries due to fire. Compensation payment is under process.
- II. 31.12.2015:  Jhabua-Minor  fire  due  to  cable  short  circuit  as  the  cable  was  cut  by rodents. No loss of life and property .
- I. 17.03.2016: Minor Natural Gas leakage occurred from 4" pipeline to HSIL customer at  Bhiwadi  (Rajasthan)  pipeline.  The  pipeline  was  damaged  by  third  party  during laying water pipeline in the area. Damage pipeline section replaced.  No loss of life and property.

## State: Madhya Pradesh

## State: Rajasthan