Farmers halt Davangere gas pipeline project

The Dabhol-Bangalore Liquefied Natural Gas pipeline project — which aims to bring 16 million standard cubic metres per day of gas — being implemented by the Gas Authority of India took a beating on Saturday with farmers in Harapanahalli taluk of Davangere district halting the work.

Farmers alleged that the government had misguided them about the project implementation. The ongoing work would deprive them of their livelihood, they said.

“Till the work is completed, the land cannot be used for cultivation and constructions cannot come up in the surroundings,” said Ramaiah K, a farmer from Pruthweshar.

“The state government should award at least Rs5 lakh per acre for the farmers whose lands are marked for the project,” said Hosalli Mallesh of Akhila Bharat Kisan Sabha, a farmers’ association.

The pipeline project is aimed at bringing tapped gas into kitchens of Bangalore, Hubli, Dharwad, Davangere, Harihar, Chitradurga and Tumkur. It will bring 24x7 cooking gas supply to at least 10 lakh homes in Bangalore in the next two years.

Cooking gas would be supplied through pipelines similar to water supply.