Centre sets 32,000km gas grid goal

The government plans to cut energy imports and reduce carbon emissions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while inaugurating a 450km natural gas pipeline between Kochi in Kerala to Mangalore in Karnataka, which has been built at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore.

Modi said the country’s natural gas pipeline network will be doubled to about 32,000km in 5-6 years. “The first interstate natural gas pipeline of the country was commissioned in 1987 and by 2014, India had 15,000 kilometres of natural gas pipeline built. Today there are over 16,000 kilometres of new gas pipelines being worked upon. This work is going to be complete in the next 5 to 6 years,” he said.