GUWAHATI: The much-anticipated northeast gas grid – the natural gas project which aims to cover the entire northeast with natural gas pipeline connection to every house - is expected to be completed in the next five years.
The project is called North East Gas Grid (NEGG) and is being undertaken by a joint company of five oil and natural gas companies namely Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC), Oil India Limited (OIL), Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC).
The joint venture company of these five companies is called Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited (IGGL) which was incorporated on August 10, 2018.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the project on February 10 during his recent visit to Assam.
The CEO of Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited, Deben Buragohain, informed G Plus that the construction work for the project is yet to begin officially as they are waiting to attain some finance-related approval from the central government.
“The main construction work of the project will begin after some time. We are waiting for some approval from the government. Once the project starts, it will take five years to connect cities in different states of the northeast,” said Buragohain. He added that the total project cost for northeast gas grid is Rs 9,265 crores.
He added that the main source of the natural gas for distribution in the entire northeast would be through the main pipeline which is being constructed by GAIL. The pipeline will bring natural gas from Barauni to Guwahati.
According to IGGL officials, as per the proposed pipeline route, the natural gas pipeline grid will connect Guwahati to some of the major cities in the northeast including Itanagar, Dimapur, Kohima, Imphal, Aizwal, Shillong, Agartala, Silchar, Gangtok and Numaligarh.
From Guwahati, the proposed route of the pipeline will extend to Numaligarh, Dimapur, Kohima and Imphal in one direction; it will connect Shillong, Aizawl, Silchar and Agartala in the second direction and to Itanagar in the third direction.
Further, Gangtok will get connected to Siliguri from the gas pipeline coming from Barauni to Guwahati.
Additionally, the preliminary survey has been completed of areas where the underground pipeline will pass through.
“Currently, the land acquisition process for the project is ongoing under the Petroleum & Mineral Pipelines Act, 1962,” informed a source closely associated with the company.
“After the work of connecting all northeast cities to the main Barauni-Guwahati natural gas pipeline is completed, it would take approximately another year to connect the pipeline to the households in Guwahati and other cities,” said the source.
Further, the work of city gas distribution in households will be undertaken by a separate company after the groundwork for the natural gas pipeline is completed by IGGL, said Buragohain.
Tough terrain in some cities a major impediment
However, the officials informed that difficult terrain in some cities might prove to be a major roadblock in the pipeline laying process.
“There are some difficulties including the problem arising due to difficult terrain in areas like Imphal and Gangtok. Here, it will only be possible to lay the underground pipeline after a utility corridor is made,” informed an official.
He added that first a depot will be constructed in all the states where the natural gas is proposed to be distributed after which connections in households will be done via pipelines from there again.
Authorities also feel that with the introduction of natural gas pipeline in households which will be used as a cooking fuel will also help in solving the acute crisis of LPG cylinders under which the state is reeling currently.
During the end of last month, the North East Packed LPG Transporters’ Association had undertaken a five-day non-cooperation movement.
According to some officials of the association, a number of discussions were held with the higher officials of the department of food & civil supplies in the past few days. However, no conclusion and result could be reached with the state government and the authorities concerned also did not pay much attention to the matter.
The officials also said that this situation has become critical now after the stepping down of food and civil supplies minister, Phani Bhusan Choudhury. They said that Choudhury had started a process and had sat for a series of discussions to try to solve their problems, but after his resignation, the whole process has come full circle.
The Association has made demands to transfer the office of tender submission from Kolkata to Guwahati to make it easy for the local entrepreneurs to file tenders. They are also opposing the decision to bring down fares from the existing rate by up to 21 percent. They want equal facilities and priorities given to all dealers of the state.
Because of this protest, no loading was undertaken for five days in LPG bottling plants located in North Guwahati, Charpara in Kamrup district, Gopanari in Tinsukia district and Bongaigaon.
