GAIL Expressway Gas Pipeline and the Future of Integrated Corridors

A milestone in corridor-based infrastructure

GAIL Expressway Gas Pipeline and the Future of Integrated Corridors: India has marked a significant infrastructure achievement with the completion of the 694-km Mumbai–Nagpur Natural Gas Pipeline by GAIL (India) Ltd.
The project demonstrates how transport infrastructure can simultaneously function as a utility corridor under integrated planning.

The pipeline has been laid almost entirely within a 3-metre-wide strip along Maharashtra’s Samruddhi Mahamarg, setting a precedent for space-efficient infrastructure development.

PM GatiShakti in action

The project is widely viewed as a practical success of the PM GatiShakti framework.
This approach focuses on synchronised planning across sectors to avoid duplication, delays, and land acquisition conflicts.

By aligning pipeline construction with expressway development, the project reduced costs, environmental impact, and right-of-way disputes.
Static GK fact: PM GatiShakti was launched in 2021 to integrate infrastructure planning across 16 central ministries using a GIS-based platform.

Engineering within extreme constraints

Nearly 96% of the pipeline length runs within the narrow expressway utility strip.
Conventional gas pipelines usually require 20–30 metres of working width, making this project a major engineering departure.

A 24-inch high-capacity steel pipeline was installed within space comparable to a pedestrian footpath.
This constraint influenced welding techniques, construction sequencing, safety buffers, and equipment selection.

Tackling the Western Ghats challenge

The most complex section lay in the Western Ghats near Fugale hill, where elevation differences exceeded 200 metres.
The terrain involved hard rock, steep gradients, dense vegetation, and intense monsoon rainfall.

Engineers deployed a hybrid method combining horizontal directional drilling with a thruster-based pulling system.
Nearly one kilometre of pipeline was pulled through difficult terrain, showcasing advanced construction capability.

Static GK Tip: Horizontal directional drilling is commonly used to cross rivers, highways, and eco-sensitive zones without surface disruption.

Coordination and regulatory execution

Although the project received initial approval in May 2020, progress was slowed by the pandemic and forest clearances.
Clearances across 10 districts, covering about 56 km, were obtained only in April 2023.

GAIL adjusted work schedules and coordinated daily with 16 expressway packages and multiple pipeline sections.
The collaboration with Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation is now viewed as a model for future corridor-based projects.

Energy and economic significance

The pipeline has a capacity of 16.5 million standard cubic metres per day with bi-directional flow capability.
It will support city gas distribution in 16 districts of Maharashtra.

The network is expected to supply piped natural gas to nearly 95 lakh households and fuel over 1,700 CNG stations.
Sectors such as fertilisers, power, chemicals, and MSMEs along the expressway corridor stand to benefit significantly.

Static GK fact: Natural gas emits lower particulate matter and carbon dioxide compared to coal and petroleum-based fuels.

A replicable infrastructure blueprint

The project establishes a new template for integrating pipelines, highways, and future utilities.
Such multi-utility corridors can accelerate project delivery while conserving land and reducing environmental impact.

This model aligns infrastructure expansion with India’s clean energy transition and logistics modernisation goals.

Static Usthadian Current Affairs Table

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