Over the past decade, India has made remarkable progress in expanding its gas connectivity. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has reached households across the country, earning international recognition for its scale and impact. The government’s “One Nation, One Gas Grid” vision – exemplified by the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Yojana (PMUGY) – has been a game changer in bringing affordable, clean energy to millions. Launched to extend gas pipelines across six eastern states, including West Bengal, this initiative aims to supply affordable piped gas to industries and households alike. It also supports the wider adoption of compressed natural gas for vehicles and gas-based technologies for industries.
A significant milestone in this journey is the integration of Durgapur’s industrial region into the National Gas Grid, promising benefits for local industries and an estimated 3 million households in West Bengal. This expansion is expected to ease daily life for many while generating employment.
Project overview and background
A crucial element of India’s gas grid vision is the Durgapur-Haldia natural gas pipeline. Constructed at a cost of over Rs 11.9 billion and spanning 132 km, this pipeline forms an integral part of the broader Jagdishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-Dhamra pipeline (JHBDPL). The JHBDPL is an extensive 3,306 km network with a planned transmission capacity of up to 23 million standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd). At present, it transports about 12.26 million cubic feet per day, linking energy-deficient eastern states to cleaner fuel sources.
Originally slated for completion by 2020-21, the project’s overall timeline has been revised from June 2024 to March 2025, and now to December 2025, reflecting the realities of on-ground hurdles such as securing right of use (RoU) for land, forest clearances and local community concerns. That said, the path to widespread gas connectivity has not been easy. In fact, the repeated mention of project delays due to land acquisition and environmental clearances highlights a systemic and persistent challenge in executing large-scale infrastructure projects across the country. This suggests that while policy intent and financial commitment are strong, on-ground implementation faces significant friction due to regulatory hurdles and clearances, which can impact project timelines and costs, even for projects of national importance.
Key stakeholders
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a 40 per cent capital grant of viability gap funding (VGF) to GAIL (India) Limited for the execution of the JHBDPL pipeline project. The overall funding for the project amounts to around Rs 51.76 billion. Any financial liability beyond this approved capital grant will be borne by GAIL from its internal accruals.
The project is being executed, developed, owned and operated by GAIL (India) Limited, with Engineers India Limited serving as the project management consultant. The project involves around 130 critical crossings implemented using the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technique. One of the highlights is the crossing of the Roopnarayan river using the intersect method of HDD for a stretch of approximately 2.8 km – an engineering feat that underscores the technical expertise of EIL.
Notably, IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company Limited has been awarded the contract for laying significant stretches of the pipeline in Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Project features and specifications
The Durgapur-Kolkata section, a key part of the JHBDPL project, was officially inaugurated and put under commercial operation on July 18, 2025. The entire section has an authorised total length of 294 km. The construction work for the pipeline started in December 2021. Fast forward to present, as of April 2025, while the 132 km section up to Kolkata has been commercially operationalised, 103 km of the remaining 162 km section leading to Haldia is now under construction. The completion of the entire Durgapur-Haldia section has been postponed to December 2025 due to challenges pertaining to RoU availability.
The pipeline has been constructed as an underground natural gas pipeline, laid at a minimum depth of 1.2 metres below the natural ground level. The Kolkata-Haldia mainline specifically uses a 24-inch pipeline. However, the broader Urja Ganga pipeline network, which includes the Durgapur-Haldia segment, incorporates varying pipeline diameters of 30 inches, 24 inches, 18 inches and 12 inches. Now, with this addition, the Urja Ganga pipeline network – comprising the Dobhi-Durgapur, Durgapur-Haldia and Dhamra-Haldia pipelines – spans over 1,030 km. During its implementation phase, the pipeline provided direct and indirect employment. Going forward, it will provide natural gas to households, industries, and the transportation sector in the districts of West Bengal. Upon completion, the pipeline will also be instrumental in supplying natural gas to major industrial consumers such as Haldia Petrochemicals Limited and Mitsubishi.
For JHBDPL Phase II, which covers West Bengal, pipeline diameters of 36 inches, 30 inches, 24 inches, 18 inches, 12 inches, 8 inches and 4 inches. Additionally, it covers a wider array of districts in West Bengal, including Purulia, Bankura, Bardhaman, Nadia, Hooghly, Howrah, East Midnapore and North 24 Parganas. This extensive coverage ensures that natural gas reaches a broad spectrum of consumers across the state.
Further, India’s gas grid vision doesn’t stop at Haldia. Plans are currently under way to extend the pipeline from Barauni in Bihar to Guwahati in Assam, adding another 729 km to the network. This next phase will connect to the under-construction North East Gas Grid, underscoring the government’s sustained commitment to balanced regional development and clean energy access across the entire eastern and north-eastern regions.
Strategic importance
The expansion of the gas grid to the eastern states is strategically crucial for several reasons. It addresses and aims to correct historical regional imbalances in energy infrastructure, promoting more equitable development across the nation. The targeted expansion in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Assam highlights a deliberate move to integrate these regions into the national energy grid, indicating a commitment to equitable growth where infrastructure development acts as a lever for socio-economic parity across diverse geographical areas. Furthermore, it actively encourages the adoption of cleaner energy sources, thereby reducing reliance on more polluting traditional fossil fuels such as coal and oil. This shift is vital for mitigating environmental impact, aligning directly with India’s commitments to global climate goals, including the Paris Agreement.
Despite facing significant delays and challenges, the continued investment and phased commissioning of the pipeline network demonstrate the government’s unwavering commitment to the “One Nation, One Gas Grid” vision. This indicates that the strategic importance of natural gas for India’s energy future outweighs the operational difficulties, indicating a resilient and determined approach to national energy security and transition.
In sum
The successful inauguration of key segments such as the Durgapur-Kolkata section represents a crucial step towards the full operationalisation of the entire JHBDPL network. This infrastructure development is not merely about gas supply; it is a strategic investment that is solidifying India’s trajectory towards a cleaner, more efficient, and equitably distributed energy future.
All in all, the construction of the Durgapur-Haldia pipeline has been a complex undertaking, reflecting a blend of advanced engineering and persistent efforts to overcome on-ground challenges, all aimed at integrating eastern India into the national gas grid. Now, this pipeline is poised to serve as a powerful engine for West Bengal’s progress and contribute significantly to the country’s development journey towards achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
