Marking a milestone towards the creation of ‘One Nation One Gas Grid’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 5 dedicated the 450 Km Kochi – Mangaluru Natural Gas Pipeline to the Nation.
Noting that rapid expansion of Gas based economy was necessary to achieve self-reliant India, the Prime Minister said that this was the basis of ‘One Nation One Gas Grid’.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas along with Kerala and Kamataka Chief Ministers were present on occasion. The Prime Minister commissioned the project through a video conference.
Noting that shifting to a gas based economy was more beneficial, Modi said his Government was for increasing the share of natural gas in energy basket from six Percent to 15 Percent. “Dedication of the Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline of GAIL is part of our journey to move towards One Nation One Gas Grid. Clean energy is important for a better future. This pipeline will help improve clean energy access,” he said.
Modi said that the gas pipeline was a major important milestone for both the people of Kerala and Kamataka as a natural gas pipeline is connecting the two states.
ADVANTAGES
Highlighting the advantages, Prime Minister Modi said that it would improve the ease of living in both Kerala and Karnataka and reduce the expenses of the poor middle class and entrepreneurs. The pipeline will become the base of Gas Distribution System in several cities and would form the base of the CNG based transport system here. Moreover, the Mangalore Refinery will get clean energy. Apart from this, the major project would reduce pollution in the states that will have a direct impact on the environment and health of the people. This would help fertilizer, petrochemical and power sectors and help the country in saving thousands of crores of Foreign exchange.
FUTURE ENERGY
Pointing out that experts have opined that the country having connectivity and clean energy would reach new heights in 21″ century, the Prime Minister said work was underway on more than 16,000 kilometres of gas pipeline nationwide. The project will complete in five to six years. In the last 27 years before 2014, only 15,000-kilometre natural gas pipeline was built, he added. Stressing that effort was on to prepare for future energy needs, he said, “natural gas is being focussed upon on the one hand, energy resources are being diversified on the other hand.” He also mentioned that sincere work was on for getting ethanol from rice and sugarcane. The Prime Minister also noted that the Government was committed to provide every citizen affordable, pollution-free fuel and electricity.
