Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan Thursday said the 69-km-long Indo-Nepal oil pipeline will be completed soon as most work on the project is already complete.
The Rs 440-crore Motihari-Amelkhganj oil pipeline is a joint investment project between the two countries under which the New Delhi will invest Rs 320 crore and Kathmandu the remaining Rs 120 crore.
Once completed, this will be the first transnational petroleum pipeline in South Asia. An agreement for the pipeline was signed in April 2015.
Stating that the Himalayan country may soon have a cheaper way to get its oil from the country through a pipeline, Pradhan said the work on the Indian side of the pipeline is already over.
"The 69 km-long Motihari-Amelkhganj pipeline will ensure smooth, cost effective and environment-friendly supply of petroleum products to Nepal," he said, adding the work on the Indian side of the pipeline is already over.
Late September Pradhan had visited the pipeline site at Amelkhganj in Nepal.
Meanwhile, Pradhan said the government is taking various measures, including focusing on biofuels such as first and second generation ethanol, biodiesel and bio-CNG, to lower crude imports as part of its efforts for "import reduction, environmental benefits and increased income to farmers".
Besides, efforts are also on for increasing domestic production of oil and gas, capitalising untapped potential in biofuels and other alternative fuels, and implementing measures for refinery process improvements, he said.