Chennai-Bangalore oil pipeline launched

Petroleum products are traditionally being transported by freight trains or by road. The new pipeline is the second one to be constructed to supply oil to Bangalore. The first pipeline, transporting fuel from Mangalore via Hassan to Bangalore, was launched a few years ago.

The 290-km underground pipeline, commissioned on Friday by Governor H R Bhardwaj, was completed at a cost of Rs 270 crore, three months ahead of schedule. It has an installed capacity to transport 1.45 million tonnes of white fuel (petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation turbine fuel) per annum from the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Manali refinery to Bangalore via Chittoor.

About 96 km of the pipeline traverses through Tamil Nadu, 111 km through Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

The remaining 83 km of it passes through Karnataka. The IOC already has a 36-km-long pipeline connecting the Devanagonthi terminal to Bangalore International Airport at Devanhalli to supply aviation turbine fuel.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Murli Deora, who spoke at the pipeline’s inauguration, said the Opposition parties should have introspected before calling for a nationwide stir on July 5 to protest against rise in fuel prices.

‘Consumption increasing’

In his address, Petroleum Secretary S Sundareshan said that the consumption of petrol and diesel was increasing at 15 and 10 per cent, respectively, per annum and the state-run oil companies were prepared to meet the increased demand.

“The Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) will build a pipeline from Dabhol in Maharashtra to Bangalore and another from Kochi in Kerala to Chennai via Mangalore and Bangalore at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore by 2012.

“Reliance Petroleum is also building a pipeline from Chennai to Bangalore to supply gas for power projects and other industrial users, while the Mangalore Refinery Petroleum Limited (MRPL) is investing Rs 15,000 crore to increase its refining capacity,” Sundareshan said.

Gramin LPG scheme

Earlier, Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj also launched Rajiv Gandhi Gramin LPG Vitarak Yojana, a Central scheme that aims to establish small, low-cost LPG distributor units in rural areas.

Four beneficiaries were allotted distributorship after random selection. An additional 124 dealers will be soon appointed across the State.