Work on India’s first natural gas pipeline running along an express highway is almost 80% complete, with 530km already laid, the Times of India reported yesterday, 7th February.

The gas pipeline constructed along the Samruddhi Mahamarg by the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) will connect Mumbai to Nagpur and extend to Jharsuguda in Odisha. According to anonymous sources quoted by the Times Of India, GAIL has already received a go-ahead to extend the pipeline from Nagpur to Jharsuguda.

While most pipeline projects run across the country, cutting through private lands, the Mumbai-Nagpur pipeline runs parallel to a highway and is the first ever undertaken in India. However, laying a pipeline along a highway comes with its unique challenges.

According to the initial plan, the project, which began in August 2022, was projected to be completed in just about 3 to 4 months, but the project will require more time to resolve some issues encountered as the project progresses.

The pipeline construction process also faces some technical issues requiring the attention of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), tasked with building the Samruddhi Mahamarg. Once the issues are resolved mutually, the project will progress quickly.

Nagpur will receive piped gas supplies through Haryana City Gas— a city gas distributor that won the gas supply contract to supply Nagpur. The distributor is currently in talks with GAIL to secure supply.

According to the sources, Haryana City Gas has already initiated a process to get approval to construct its own gas pipeline to help supply gas to industry and domestic consumers.