HC stays removal of GAIL's pipeline in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has stayed a Tamil Nadu Government order directing removal of pipelines laid by Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) in farm lands in the state for the Kochi-Bangalore pipeline project.

Passing interim orders on a petition filed by the GAIL, Justice K K Sasidharan yesterday ordered that pipelines already laid should not be removed and posted the matter to July 9.

The state government had recently directed officials to remove the pipelines already laid in farm lands in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Namakkal, Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts.

The state government has declared that GAIL needed to stop laying of pipelines through farmers' lands following opposition by farmers.