New Delhi, March 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina on Saturday inaugurated a Rs 377-crore pipeline to transport diesel from India to northern Bangladesh, cutting costs and reducing carbon footprint.
The pipeline will start a new chapter in India-Bangladesh relations, Modi said at the inauguration.
Currently, diesel is supplied to Bangladesh through a 512-km rail route. The 131.5-km pipeline will supply up to 1 million tonnes per annum of diesel from Numaligarh in Assam to Bangladesh.
This would not just help save on transportation costs but also reduce the carbon footprint of moving the fuel, Modi said. “This pipeline is especially important in the context of many developing nations struggling for fertiliser and energy security,” he said.
The construction of the pipeline project started in 2018.
It is the first cross-border energy pipeline between the two neighbours. Of the total cost of Rs 377 crore of the project, Rs 285 crore of the Bangladesh section of the pipeline has been borne by the Government of India under grant assistance.
The foundation stone of this pipeline was laid by both Prime Ministers in September 2018. (PTI)
