97 Jetta With Severed Cable

I have a 97 Jetta and noticed the other day that a cloth covered cable that is hooked around my air filter housing had come look from it’s clips and had been severed in half by the main belt down below. Any idea what this cable is and how dangerous it is to be in two separate pieces? I hooked both of them back into their clips, so it’s no longer rubbing on the belt.

It’s not a cable, it’s a vacuum line.
It controls the damper that regulates the intake pre-heater.
Not dangerous or damaging whatsoever.

Thanks for the response! Would it have any connection to the engine light being on?