Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) team completed the repair and restoration work on the gas pipeline ruptured allegedly by saboteurs near Muridke on Sunday night. The line, that reportedly bursts with a big bang however, caught no fire. No loss of property was also reported. "Our team, which worked whole night on the line successfully, finished the job on Monday morning, SNGPL spokesman and Chief Officer Naeem A. Khan told Business Recorder.
He also admitted that the line had been blown out by outlaws, adding, "our preliminary inspection reports suggested that it was an act of sabotage." He stated that the shape of a pipe ruptured due to an explosion by high pressure is totally different from that of one caused by explosive material.
About holding of inquiry to ascertain the exact cause of the incident, he said different law enforcing agencies were also carrying out investigations on their own, but the company would also hold a high-level departmental inquiry to look into matter in depth.
He said, "as restoration of gas supply was the top priority of ours, therefore, soon after the incident, our team was dispatched to start the repair work."
It may be recalled that it was the third incident occurring on this pipeline. Earlier, saboteurs had blasted the same line at the same site about a couple of months back. Moreover, in January last an 18-inch line was blasted near Changa Manga that suspended gas supply to industrial and domestic consumers as well as CNG stations.
It may also be pointed out that about two years back, in April 2003, two transmission pipelines of SNGPL carrying gas from Sui and Qadirpur fields, near Bhutta Wahan, Rahimyar Khan district had been blown out. It had kept the gas supply suspended to industrial, commercial and domestic consumers not only in Punjab, but also in NWFP for many days, besides causing a sizeable loss to the company.
Properties of people were also damaged, including death of 50 cattle and loss to crops, and the company had to pay compensation to the affectees.
Meanwhile, a press release issued by SNGPL said that our 10-inch dia pipeline at Kala Shah Kaku Nullah crossing in Muridke was blown out on Sunday night at 20:50 hours, as a result of a sabotage act.
The gas supply was immediately shut down by closing the feeding valve, to avoid an unforeseen incident to the nearby Ittehad Chemical - a chlorine-producing factory. No fire hazard or casualty to life was reported.
The company's projects and transmission emergency team, especially deployed for the purpose, rushed to the site and started the repair and restoration work, which has been completed on Monday at 07:15 hours. This is the third attempt of sabotage activity on this pipeline, the release concluded.