GAIL (India), is likely to abandon the section of the Kochi-Koottanad-Bangalore-Mangalore natural gas pipeline in Tamil Nadu.

The company may abandon the section if the state government does not take a decision on the project within a month, for land issues. GAIL has faced resistance from farmers while laying the gas pipeline, which traverses seven districts in Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Namakkal, Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri - over 310 km. Farmers were apprehensive that the pipeline would result in a loss of agricultural production in future.

Following the protests, the Tamil Nadu government insisted that GAIL stop laying the pipeline across the farmers' fields and instead align it with national highways. However, the company rejected the proposal by the state government terming it technically unfeasible. Hence, Gail may abandon that particular section of the project.

Gail (India) is laying a pipeline from Kochi terminal to Mangalore via Kasargod in Phase-I and a 570 km pipeline from Mangalore to Bangalore via Mysore, which will be further extended to Coimbatore in  Phase-II. The entire project is estimated to cost Rs 3,700 crore.

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