Gail India is likely to complete the first leg of the Kochi-Bengaluru gas pipeline in January 2021.
The first leg of the 620 km long Kochi-Bengaluru gas pipeline begins from Kuttanad in Palakkad and extends up to Valayar, which is on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The work on 95 km line is progressing at a fast pace.
The company has recently completed the Kochi-Mangaluru gas pipeline project.
The company has laid the pipes and pressure testing is being done on the 95 km long Kuttanad-Valayar stretch.
Once the testing is completed, the pipeline will supply natural gas to Palakkad town as well as to Kanjikode and other industrial estates in the district.
The Kochi-Bengaluru line was also announced along with the Kochi-Mangaluru line that is now awaiting official commissioning, but got delayed due to public and political pressure which held back land acquisition for long.
The project was initially expected to cost Rs 2,500 crore. However, it is set to escalate due to the delays and after the management agreed to pay higher compensation to farmers for the land.
The Kuttanad-Palakkad stretch will be completed soon and the line will go live up to Valayar by January 2021 and in Coimbatore by March 2021, which is 280 km long.
The line passes through seven districts in Tamil Nadu--Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Tirupur, Krishnagiri, Dharmagiri and Hosur. The Krishnagiri stretch is almost complete, while the work on Valayar-Coimbatore leg is underway.
Moreover, the Tamil Nadu government has appointed nodal revenue officers in each of the seven districts for regular monitoring and coordination.
On 16 November 2020, the Kochi-Mangaluru gas pipeline project was finally ready for commissioning after completing testing of 540 mtr stretch across the Chandragiri river in Kasargod on 14 November 2020, which took nearly eight months to complete due to geological complexities.