GAIL awards contract for laying pipeline

New Delhi: State-owned gas utility GAIL India Ltd Monday said it has awarded natural gas pipeline laying work contracts for 131-km in Kerala.

With this award, 75 per cent of the Kochi-Koottanad-Mangaluru pipeline is now in construction phase.

The 131-km section from Areacode (Malappuram) to Kurumathoor (Kannur) will cost about Rs 200 crore, the company said in a statement here.

The balance 111-km stretch in Malappuram, Kannur and Kasargod districts will be awarded by July 2017.

"Construction works from both the ends of the Kochi? Koottanad?Mangaluru pipeline -- in the 91 Km Kochi?Koottanad section as well as in the 105 km Perole (Kasargod)-Mangaluru section are already in full swing," it said.

GAIL said it has made substantial progress in acquisition of Right of User due to the continued support of the state government, administration, police and the public at large.

The Kochi-Koottanad-Mangaluru pipeline has been stuck for years because of problems in getting land for laying the line.

GAIL is targeting to complete the entire Kochi-Koottanad-Mangaluru Pipeline by December 2018, the statement added.