MANGALURU: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicating the Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline to the nation, the countdown has begun for over 4 lakh households in Dakshina Kannada to get piped gas in a span of eight years. By the end of 2021, over a dozen wards of Mangaluru city will get piped gas and this will be extended to other places of the district in a phased manner.
An official of GAIL (India) Limited said laying pipelines through waterways and hilly terrain was a challenging task especially through the Netravati river and Chandragiri hills. MCF has already received the natural gas while OMPL will get it in seven days time and MRPL in 15 days time. Over 100 CNG stations will be set up across Dakshina Kannada during the next one year.
Speaking at the launch, Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa said the project will boost the commercial sector and industrial growth in Mangaluru and other parts of the coastal region generating employment to the youth. He thanked the engineers for successfully implementing the challenging task of laying pipelines through the waterways and hilly terrain using advanced technology.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the gas pipeline will have a positive impact on the economy of the coastal region, improve easy of living, develop CNG based transport system, provide clean energy thereby bringing down the pollution levels, leading to development of tourism and save huge foreign exchange among other benefits. He said the pipeline which provides fuel to Mangalore Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited will also help farmers get fertilisers at cheaper rate.
Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said the project had faced many obstacles due to delay in land acquisition in Kerala and said it was put on fast pace due to initiatives of former Union minister late Ananth Kumar and Union minister DV Sadananda Gowda. He said the project will benefit all including farmers and the transport sector.