ONGC pipeline sparks safety concerns at Surat airport

Surat, Gujarat –  In a major development that raises alarming questions about aviation safety, four decades-old gas pipelines running beneath the Surat Airport runway have come under intense scrutiny. The 36-inch and 42-inch South Basin Hazira Trunk (SBHT) pipelines owned by ONGC have been flagged as potential hazards, with calls to immediately prevent aircraft from running or landing over them.

This follows a letter by Sanjay Ezhava, President of the Surat Airport Action Committee, who exposed seven critical risks of a catastrophic accident at Surat Airport. His detailed complaint led the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to seek clarification from ONGC on June 24, 2025. ONGC has since responded, but the explanation has raised more questions than answers.

According to ONGC’s response, the 36” SBHT pipeline is laid on the Dumas beach (west) side and the 42” pipeline on the Vesu (east) side, running about 1.5 to 2 meters beneath the surface on both sides of the Surat airport runway before reaching the Hazira plant. The pipelines are separated by 3.5 kilometers and are currently certified as “fit for purpose” until late 2028.

ONGC stated, “All relevant safety aspects are constantly monitored and reviewed. There is no vibration or residual stress detected on the pipelines due to aircraft activity, as confirmed by a government scientific institute.”

However, the same study also strongly recommends that “runway crossovers and aircraft landing or running over the pipelines should be avoided.”

This contradiction did not go unnoticed by Ezhava, who slammed ONGC for “hiding its sins.”

“On one hand, ONGC says the pipelines are safe. On the other hand, their own survey warns against aircraft movement over these pipelines. If a plane overshoots, it could lead to disaster,” Ezhava said.

He further pointed out that the 36” pipeline, laid in 1990 with a 25-year lifespan, had technically expired in 2015.

“For three years, ONGC ran it without a fitness check. Only after my complaint in 2018 did they assess it again. Now it has completed 35 years. It’s a ticking time bomb beneath Surat Airport,” Ezhava warned.