GAIL sets March 31 date to complet Dahej-Uran

The Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) will be completing the Dahej-Uran pipeline by March 31, 2007 assured V C Tripathi executive director (project) to chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Tripathi was speaking at the meeting called by Deshmukh to take review of the Dahej-Uran pipeline project of the GAIL.

The completion of pipeline is critical for power starved Maharashtra which is already facing peak hour power shortage to the tune of 4,500 Mw. Once completed this pipeline will bring much needed fuel to Mahagenco's underutilised 900 Mw plant at Uran, which is presently generating only around 450 to 500 Mw of power.

Besides this, the Dabhol project is presently run on the expensive Naptha which is escalating the cost of power purchased by the state-run Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL).

And unless gas reaches Dabhol it won't be possible to start 2,100 Mw second phase of RGPPL.

Tripathi said, 60 per cent of the construction and around 90 per cent of other civil work was expected to be completed by the end of last year, however, only 40 per cent of the construction work has been completed so far. And other civil work has been completed to the extent of 70 per cent, stated a press release issued by the chief minister's office.

Besides this, it was also expected that, 40 per cent of the construction work on Panvel-Dabhol pipeline will be completed and around 80 per cent other civil work by the end of 2006 but only 28 and 66 per cent work on this pipeline has been completed.

Even though we are behind the schedule, we are making all out efforts to meet the deadline of March 31, Tripathi assured Deshmukh.