GAIL India to resume pipe-laying work.

The Gas Authority of India (GAIL) India is all set to start its second phase of activities with the laying of natural gas pipeline in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts shortly.

Addressing a new conference recently the GAIL India chief manager (Corporate Communications) Jyoti Kumar said that the project had faced several hiccups in these regions during its initial stages following protests from local people. However, the company has now been able to dispel the apprehension about the pipeline.

He said that the process of laying pipes had started in Kozhikode and Malappuram in December. Currently pipes had been laid in 18 out of the 56 km in Malappuram and the works had progressed in 84 km in Kozhikode.

Hopefully, the project would be completed in next few months.

Recently, Chief Secretary Jiji Thomas had shot off a letter to the Union Petroleum Secretary Kapil Dev Tripathiaccusing the State-owned company over its “callous attitude” in implementing the natural gas pipeline project in the State.

The project had been marred by a series of delays, including stiff opposition from local residents, litigations and deferment of land acquisition in spite of the State government taking several proactive measures, the Chief Secretary had said.

Mr. Kumar said that the second phase of the pipeline had shown substantial progress in the Right of Use (RoU) activities in four major districts such as Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur and Kasaragod.

The Kochi-Kuttanad-Bangalore-Mangalore Project is to lay a 505-km RLNG ( re-gasified liquefied natural gas) from Kochi to Mangalore via Palakkad and to Bangalore via Coimbatore.

The land acquisitions for Ernakulam and Thrissur has been completed, and in Kasaragod, Kannur and Palakkad the work is in the final stages.

The first stage was completed in Ernakulam two years ago.

The 50-km long pipeline now facilitated natural gas to 11 companies and two more business enterprises had signed the agreement this month, Mr. Kumar said.

He said that GAIL India would only have RoU in the land acquired for the project and that the ownership of land would remain with the owner.

The company offered half of the base price as well as compensation for loss of agricultural crops and tress.

THE HINDU