A case of negligence was registered against the private firm maintaining the natural gas pipelines, from which gas started leaking at Uppudi village in East Godavari district on Sunday, Superintendent of Police Adnan Nayeem Asmi said on Tuesday.
Addressing the media here, Mr. Nayeem said the Katrinekona police booked cases against the PFH Oil and Gas Private Limited under the Petroleum Act, 1934, and the Negligence Act.
Deputy Chief Minister (Revenue) Pilli Subash Chandra Bose said a meeting with officials of the PFH, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the Collector, and the SP was held to review the situation in the wake of the gas leak incident.
“We have discussed about the various government and private companies involved in the gas and oil exploration in the KG Basin. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who enquired about the incident, sought a report on the exploration works in the Konaseema region,” he said.
Social Welfare Minister P. Viswaroop said that 90% of the oil and gas operations were being carried out in the region, particularly in the Amalapuram Parliament segment. “But the security aspect has been ignored,” he alleged.
Compensation
“We discussed about the setting up of an integrated office by all the departments at Amalapuram to enable it to respond during emergencies at the earliest. We also discussed about payment of compensation to the Uppudi farmers and villagers and laying of the roads damaged due to the incident,” the Minister said.
Agriculture Minister K. Kannababu said people were afraid of the closed well at Uppudi village. A status report would be submitted to the State and the Central governments in 48 hours, he added.
Instructions had been given to Collector D. Muralidhar Reddy to estimate the loss occurred due to the gas leak at Uppudi and the neighbouring villages, Mr. Kannababu said.
Amalapuram MP Chinta Anuradha said the ONGC would submit a report after conducting a preliminary investigation. The government would pay compensation to the farmers and the villagers soon, she said.
Mummidivaram MLA Ponnada Satish, Amalapuram Revenue Divisional Officer B.H. Bhavani Shankar and other officials participated.
