Fire that broke out following a leakage in the Reliance pipeline carrying gas from Kakinada in East Godavari to Bharuch was brought under control after five hours of hectic efforts by the company personnel at Maddikunta in Medak district.
A major mishap was averted with timely action of the Reliance personnel and the district administration in the early hours of Monday after they plugged the leakage from the Main Live Valve (MLV) 14- near Maddikunta in Sadashivapet mandal and brought the fire under control.
The MLV was hardly 50 metres away from the SC Colony, which has 200 houses. The villagers said that the fire rose to about 30-40 metres, triggering panic in the village. The pipeline was laid by Reliance Gas Transportation Infrastructure Ltd (RGTIL), a part of Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries (RIL), to supply gas from Kakinada to Bharuch.
“The gas started leaking at about 2.35 a.m. and within no time it caught fire . Our people reached the spot within 45 minutes after the incident and swung into action. However, we do not know the cause of fire. Experts from Mumbai would be arriving here and they will ascertain the reasons,” G.V. Reddy, General Manager, Reliance, told The Hindu .
Soon after the fire broke out, a security guard of the company alerted the police. They also got an alert from the head office of the company in Mumbai. Immediately, power supply to the village was cut by the officials.
As a precautionary measure, the technical experts opened two valves - MLV 13 at Indresam near Patancheru and MLV 15 at Madhira at Kohir- and released the gas that was in the pipeline for about 70 kilometres and averted the fire from spreading.
Villagers evacuated
Villagers were evacuated to safer places and police prevented people from going close to the MLV. Local people returned to their houses only after the fire was brought under control.
Collector Rahul Bojja and Superintendent of Police B. Sumathi visited the spot.
Leakage plugged and fire brought under control after five hours of hectic efforts at Maddikunta in Medak district
