The Hindu Business Line : Delhiites raise queries on safety aspect of piped gas supply

HOUSING societies in Delhi have expressed apprehensions about the safety of the piped natural gas distribution lines coming into their premises. Residents of a number of societies have written to the service provider Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL), seeking clarifications regarding the safety aspects of the piped natural gas system.

This is especially with regard to the quality of the material used in setting up the infrastructure and steps taken during construction of the network to prevent mishaps.

They have also sought clarifications on the need to have a national code of safety for laying of such gas lines and getting approvals of design and construction standards. IGL, a joint venture between Delhi Government, GAIL (India) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, has been supplying piped natural gas to domestic and commercial consumers for the last seven years.

A Delhi Government official said that even as no major approvals were required for either design or construction of piped gas infrastructure, IGL was complying with the "highest safety norms." "A narrow inflammability range makes piped natural gas one of the safest fuels in the world. Also, piped gas installation inside the premises contains only a limited quantity of natural gas at low pressure, making it much safer than LPG cylinders," the official said.

IGL, which supplies to over 3,500 domestic consumers in the Capital, was incorporated in December 1998 for supplying natural gas to domestic and commercial sectors and compressed natural gas to the automobile sector.

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