Daijiworld Media Network - Hassan (SP)
Hassan, Nov 18: It is almost certain that the hole rigged into the LPG pipeline of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) near Jenukallu Kanive near Ankapura in the taluk was the handiwork of thieves. The elaborate pre-planning by the thieves even took the officials of HPCL supervising the repair work by surprise.
The officials could trace the point of leakage to a point below the earth under an agricultural field at Bachapura Koppal village. They arranged to dig up the land with a backhoe and reached the point. They found that a pipe and valve modelled after water tap had been fixed to the LPG pipeline there.
The miscreants had rigged a hole in the pipeline, after which a one inch-wide pipe was fitted to it and welded. Controlling valve was seen to have been fitted there to tap gas whenever required. But because of high pressure of LPG, the welding work fell apart and gas started leaking at high speed at the spot. The work of plugging the hole is almost over now.
Apparently, the work of creating a hole and welding a pipe with valve were done during the period the pipeline was laid. In all likelihood, the thieves had connived with the employees supervising the work of laying the pipeline for stealing gas whenever it is pumped. After laying the pipeline, it had been buried under 2.5 feet of earth. A concrete irrigation canal also passes over it. Therefore, no one would have taken the risk of rigging a hole in the pipeline after it became operational, as it is fraught with lot of risk.
While HPCL officials maintained that they had inspected the safety of pipeline before supplying gas through it, police officials asserted that a look at the spot gives clear hints that it was done at the time the pipeline was laid and not after. They felt that even if it is presumed that local farmers would have thought of this plan, they could not have executed this work as professionally as it looks. They therefore expressed the view that HPCL officials were at fault in not inspecting the pipeline properly after it was laid.