GAIL to commission MNJPL pipeline by Dec-end after delays and over Rs 400 cr cost rise

New Delhi: GAIL (India) Limited on Wednesday said its 1,707 km Mumbai-Nagpur-Jharsuguda pipeline (MNJPL) project is nearing completion and will be fully commissioned by December 31, 2025. The pipeline, spanning Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, has been categorised as a high-impact project under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.

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GAIL said construction has been completed in Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, with only 11 km pending in Maharashtra. Around 1,440 km of the network is already ready for gas-in. The company’s board, in its meeting on September 24, approved the December-end commissioning timeline.

Role in National Gas Grid

The MNJPL project is part of India’s National Gas Grid and will cater to clean fuel demand from city gas distribution and industries across four states. According to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), 17 geographical areas covering 60 districts fall along the pipeline route.

Delays and cost escalation

The project has faced multiple delays since its launch. As reported earlier by PSU Watch, GAIL in June 2025 had revised the completion schedule from June to September 30 due to forest clearance and land acquisition hurdles. At that time, the company’s board approved an additional Rs 411.12 crore, pushing the overall project cost to Rs 8,255.37 crore, up 5.24 percent from the sanctioned Rs 7,844.25 crore.

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