Accomplishing its connectivity; South Asia gets first cross border petroleum pipeline between India and Nepal

New Delhi, June 18: After successfully accomplishing connectivity through bilateral ties and diplomatic relations, India and Nepal have once again sought to signify their neighbourhood strength. According to reports, the work on laying south Asia's first cross border petroleum pipeline linking Motahari in India and Amlekhgunj in Nepal has been fully completed.

Covering a distance of 70.2 kilometres, the pipeline’s technical examination is underway. The pipeline project is estimated to be around Rs 2.75 billion.

Petroleum Pipeline Extension Project Simara's engineer Sharad Poudel, said, “The works related to hydro-test, radiography of pipes joined by welding, taking X-ray at the points where the pipes have been joined and removing the rust in the pipe through scan-plast have started with the completion of the pipeline laying works.”

The work of laying the petroleum pipeline that covers a distance of 32.65 kilometres from Motahari to Raxaul on the Indian side was completed a month ago. The task of laying pipes for a distance of 37.25 kilometres from Raxaul to Amlekhgunj of Bara on the Nepal side is also over.

A technical team of 25-members including engineers from the Nepal Oil Corporation, have headed to Lucknow for training on hydro-test and other technical works. The Indian Oil Corporation is set to provide training to the technicians to make them capable to take care of the first cross-border petroleum pipeline of south Asia.

The agreement to lay the pipeline inked between Nepal and India on August 24, 2015. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi during Oli's India visit jointly laid the foundation stone for Motihari-Amlekhgunj petroleum pipeline project at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.