Expert Appraisal Committee clears 466-kilometre natural gas pipeline project in Chennai

EAC approves Torrent Gas Chennai's CRZ clearance for natural gas pipeline project in Greater Chennai with strict environmental conditions.

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has granted Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance to Torrent Gas Chennai Private Limited for its proposed natural gas pipeline project in the Greater Chennai area. 

The project involves laying a 466-kilometre pipeline network to distribute natural gas across the city and nearby areas. This pipeline will cater to domestic, commercial, industrial, and vehicular users.

The pipeline will start from Vallur village and pass through several neighbourhoods, including Vettuvankeni, Neelankarai, Thiruvanmiyur, Adayar, Chepauk, Parry’s Corner, Royapuram, Tondiarpet, Tiruvottiyur, Ennore, and Nettukuppam. 

Of the total pipeline length, approximately 260.24 km will fall within CRZ areas, making the project subject to strict environmental regulations. The plan includes a main steel trunk line ranging from 12 to 18 inches in diameter and smaller MDPE pipelines along the roads to ensure last-mile connectivity to households and establishments.

After reviewing the proposal, the EAC agreed that the project is permissible under the CRZ Notification, 2011, and took note of the Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority’s recommendation in favour of the project. However, the EAC placed several conditions on the approval to ensure minimal environmental impact and maximum safety. 

One of the key recommendations was that the company should use Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) instead of the open-cut method for laying the pipeline, particularly in sensitive CRZ-IB and CRZ-IVB areas. The project proponent responded that while HDD may not be technically feasible across the entire stretch, it would be implemented in low-density areas where fewer gas connections are expected. 

The company has also been directed to obtain No Objection Certificates from both the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation before starting any construction. The EAC also asked Torrent Gas to incorporate the latest safety technologies and follow guidelines issued by the Oil Industry Safety Directorate. Special precautions must be taken in densely populated areas and locations where the pipeline crosses drainage channels.