India’s PM Narendra Modi laid a stone to mark the start of GAIL’s 317 km Nagpur-Jabalpur pipeline. This landmark event, reported by The Hitavada on Thursday, marked a pivotal moment in the nation's energy infrastructure development.

Addressing the press during a conference on Wednesday, Sandeep Kumar Gupta, the Chairman and Managing Director of Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), expressed enthusiasm about realizing Prime Minister Modi's vision for the National Gas Grid's expansion.

The foundation stone ceremony took place in Jabalpur, where Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated the Vijaipur-Auraiya Natural Gas Pipeline Project.

The Nagpur-Jabalpur Natural Gas Pipeline, with an estimated investment of Rs 1,103 crore ($133,000), is set to span 317 kilometers, starting from Nagpur in Maharashtra and traversing through the districts of Chhindwara, Seoni, and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. In Madhya Pradesh alone, the pipeline will stretch 256 kilometers, serving 144 villages in these three districts.

The project is an integral part of the 1,755-kilometer-long Mumbai-Nagpur-Jharsuguda Pipeline (MNJPL) Project, categorized as a high-impact initiative under the PM Gati Shakti Master Plan.

Upon completion, this pipeline will provide natural gas to four designated geographical areas authorized by PNGRB along its route in Madhya Pradesh. These areas include Betul, Chhindwara, Seoni, Balaghat, Damoh, Jabalpur, Katni, Mandla, Umaria, Dindori, Hoshangabad, Narsinghpur, Sagar, Vidisha, and Anuppur.

The new development will grant access to natural gas for 15 districts in Madhya Pradesh, resulting in approximately 26 lakh PNG connections and the establishment of over 550 CNG stations by city gas distribution companies in the near future.

The Nagpur-Jabalpur Natural Gas Pipeline Project is slated for completion by October 2024 and is expected to generate employment opportunities totaling around five lakh man-days during the construction phase.

Furthermore, another noteworthy initiative, the 352-kilometer-long Vijaipur-Auraiya Natural Gas Pipeline, comprising 193 kilometers in Madhya Pradesh and 159 kilometers in Uttar Pradesh, has been constructed with an investment of Rs 1,765 crore( $212,000).

The pipeline will provide eco-friendly and affordable fuel to industries, households, and the transport sector in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

With increasing concerns regarding environmental degradation and pollution, the utilization of natural gas is seen as a pivotal step toward a cleaner and more environmentally sustainable energy source.