The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has granted coastal regulation zone (CRZ) clearance for development of city gas distribution (CGD) network in Karaikal in Puducherry and Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu. The pipeline is to be laid exclusively by horizontal directional drilling method across canals, rivers, waterbodies and CRZ areas as suggested by MoEFCC. Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority and Pondicherry Coastal Zone Management Authority had recommended the proposal.
Torrent Gas Private Limited plans to lay three natural gas pipelines of length 42.39 km. Out of this, 22.35 km falls in Nagapattinam. The target is to achieve 0.16 million piped natural gas (PNG) domestic connections and set up 27 compressed natural gas (CNG) stations, as per the rapid environmental impact assessment report.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) granted authorisation to Torrent Gas for development of CGD network in Karaikal and Nagapattinam in ninth CGD bidding round. The company then entered in an agreement with GAIL (India) Limited for the supply of natural gas from GAIL’s SV-II station located at Thirumarugal village in Nagapattinam.