New Delhi: GAIL (India) Limited has announced significant progress in the execution of the Jagdishpur–Haldia–Bokaro–Dhamra Pipeline (JHBDPL), popularly known as the “Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga” project. The state-run natural gas major has completed over 97.6 percent of the pipeline laying work, with 96.6 percent of the network already under commercial operation.
The integrated JHBDPL project, including the Barauni–Guwahati pipeline extension, spans an authorized length of 3,306 km and traverses the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and Assam. To date, GAIL has laid 3,227 km of the pipeline and commenced commercial operations along 3,119 km, covering key sections such as Phulpur–Dobhi–Bokaro–Durgapur, Bokaro–Angul–Dhamra, and Dobhi–Barauni–Guwahati.
Currently, the pipeline is transporting approximately 12.26 Million Standard Cubic Metres Per Day (MMSCMD) of natural gas. The supplies are catering to a wide range of consumers, including four major fertilizer plants, two refineries at Barauni and Paradip, industrial units, and 32 City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks in cities like Varanasi, Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Kolkata.
In the Durgapur–Haldia segment, which spans 294 km, GAIL has put 132 km of the pipeline—extending up to Kolkata—under commercial operations. Of the remaining 162 km stretch leading to Haldia, 103 km has been completed. Similarly, in the Dhamra–Haldia section, out of an authorized 240 km, 198 km has been laid.
However, due to challenges related to the availability of Right of Use (RoU), the timeline for completing the Durgapur–Haldia and Dhamra–Haldia sections has been extended from March 2025 to December 2025.
Upon full commissioning, the expanded pipeline network will enhance gas supply to the Haldia refinery and fuel the CGD networks in Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, and nearby industrial clusters, further boosting the energy infrastructure in Eastern India.
The Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project is a flagship initiative aimed at deepening natural gas penetration in underserved regions, supporting the government’s vision of a gas-based economy.
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