National
Construction near pipeline: Notice to government
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Thursday issued notice to the state government, the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) and land developers in response to a PIL seeking removal of construction of a housing society, allegedly built on top of natural gas pipelines in Vadodara.
A consumer rights activist, P V Moorjani, has filed the PIL for removal of construction of part of a housing society – Earth Somnath – on Gotri-Sevasi road claiming that the builders have put up construction within five metres of the underground pipeline and that part of the construction was on land of a notified water body.
Moorjani submitted that after the land owner’s request to convert the land as NA, the district collector had written to GAIL for NOC since a pipeline ran beneath it. In August 2013, GAIL consented to the NOC upon certain conditions. In October 2013, the collector granted NA permission under Section 65 of the Gujarat Land Revenue Code.
The petitioner claimed that the civil engineer’s examination report revealed in December 2018 that the construction was carried out within five metres of the pipeline instead of keeping a clear margin of 15 metres. The engineer further pointed out that the land developers had encroached upon government land, which is for a pond and had developed common clubhouse and swimming pool on this particular patch.
By terming the construction illegal, the PIL demanded its removal because the construction allegedly took place in violation of conditions laid down by GAIL for granting NOC.
Further hearing on the issue is likely to take place later this month.