Gas pipeline leak prompts traffic diversion on Samruddhi Expressway in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Aug 29 (PTI): Traffic on a 24-km stretch of the Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district was diverted on Saturday late evening as a precaution, after a gas leak was reported from a GAIL pipeline near Takliwadi in Gangapur taluka, officials said.

The leak was reported at around 5 pm near Takliwadi, located alongside the expressway, following which the district administration launched immediate precautionary measures and alerted officials of GAIL, they said.

Fire-fighting equipment was also kept ready at the site for precaution, officials said.

Traffic between chainage 447 and 470 of the Samruddhi Expressway, covering the stretch between Hadas Pimpalgaon and Maliwada, has been diverted onto the Dhule-Solapur highway, district collector Vinay Gowda G C said through a release.

Vehicles travelling towards Mumbai have been asked to exit the expressway at the Hadas Pimpalgaon interchange, take the Dhule-Solapur highway and re-enter the Samruddhi Expressway at Maliwada, the release says.

Similarly, vehicles travelling towards Nagpur will exit at the Maliwada interchange, use the Dhule-Solapur highway and re-enter the expressway at Hads Pimpalgaon, officials said.

Experts from GAIL have shut valves on both sides of the affected section of the pipeline, following which the pressure inside the pipeline is gradually reducing, the administration said.

Senior officials from the district administration and police are monitoring the situation and efforts are underway to restore normal traffic at the earliest, officials said. PTI AW PRK

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