NEW DELHI — In a regulatory filing on March 25, 2026, GAIL (India) Limited announced a six-month extension for the completion of critical sections of its Jagdishpur–Haldia–Bokaro–Dhamra Pipeline (JHBDPL) project.
The state-owned gas major has moved the deadline for the Durgapur–Haldia and Dhamra–Haldia sections from March 2026 to September 2026.
Project Status and Revisions
The delay affects the final stretches of the massive “Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga” project, which aims to provide natural gas to India’s eastern states.
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Durgapur – Haldia Section:
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Total Authorized Length: 3,306 km.
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Balance Work: Kolkata – Haldia stretch.
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New Deadline: September 2026.
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Dhamra – Haldia Section:
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Current Progress: 150 km laid out of 240 km.
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Balance Work: West Bengal portion of the link.
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New Deadline: September 2026.
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Reasons for the Delay
The board-approved revision cited two primary administrative and logistical bottlenecks:
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Right of Use (RoU) Permissions: Continued challenges in securing land access rights along the pipeline route.
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Fisheries Clearance: Delays in obtaining the necessary environmental and local clearances related to fishery zones in West Bengal.
Strategic Importance
As India’s largest natural gas distributor, GAIL’s JHBDPL project is vital for:
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Industrial Growth: Supplying gas to fertilizer plants, refineries, and steel units in the eastern corridor.
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Energy Security: Connecting the Dhamra LNG terminal to the national gas grid.
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City Gas Distribution (CGD): Enabling piped natural gas (PNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) services in cities like Kolkata and Haldia.
The board meeting, which concluded late Wednesday evening, confirmed that no additional investment is required beyond the existing sanctioned budget despite the timeline shift.
