Water Crisis Wasn't Enough: Now Guwahatians Need To Worry About Gas Leaks

A gas leak from a pipeline in Guwahati’s Ambikagiri Nagar triggered panic among residents on Tuesday night, leaving them worried about a potential disaster. The leak, which began around 11 PM yesterday, continued for hours, filling the air with the strong smell of gas.

Fire tenders and Gitanagar police, upon being informed, arrived at the scene to take temporary control of the situation. However, to the residents’ dismay, no officials from the concerned department showed up to take charge. Instead, a departmental driver attempted a makeshift solution, using polythene and bamboo strips to cover the leaking pipeline - a move that offered little reassurance.

Locals have expressed frustration, questioning why such a critical situation was not treated with the urgency it demanded.

The pipeline, it turns out, is part of a larger gas distribution project that hasn’t even started operations yet. Purba Bharti Gas Company (PBG), which is managing the project, plans to begin supply in February.

According to the company’s CEO, Manoj Kumar Baruah, the pipeline will eventually serve around 10,000 residents in the Noonmati area in its first phase. While the main pipeline from Barauni to Panikhaiti is complete, a crucial 2-3 kilometer stretch between Panikhaiti and Noonmati remains unfinished.

The gas project, intended to improve energy accessibility, has instead left residents wary of potential risks. For now, while the leak has been contained, the fear of a potential explosion or a more serious incident continues to loom.

Notably, this incident comes just days after a major water pipeline burst in the Kharguli area, leaving several parts of the city without supply water. With a gas leak now in the mix, the people are deeply worried about the potential for a catastrophic explosion if the gas pipeline were to burst, especially as the project is expected to expand to other parts of the city in the future.

“Given how many water pipelines have burst in the cityt, a gas pipeline burst would be disastrous. Its only a matter of time before something goes terribly wrong,” said a local resident.

Also Read: Kharguli Incident: Guwahati Jal Board Announces Compensation to Affected Victims