India's largest underground LPG storage facility completed in Mangalore; All details here
Mangalore, Karnataka – June 18, 2025: India’s largest underground LPG storage cavern, near Mangalore, has been successfully completed, marking a major step forward in the country’s energy infrastructure. Built by Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) for Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), the project is now fully ready for operation following the successful completion of all testing phases on June 6, 2025.
This underground facility, with a storage capacity of 80,000 metric tonnes, is part of the Mangalore LPG Import Facility (MLIF) and is designed to support uninterrupted LPG distribution across southern and central India. The storage cavern will serve as a critical reserve in case of emergencies, such as supply disruptions during wartime or natural disasters.
As reported by The Hindu in September 2023, during a visit by the Karnataka Legislative Council Assurance Committee, HPCL officials assured that the 80,000 metric tonne LPG cavern is a safe and secure storage facility. Responding to safety concerns, HPCL General Manager (Projects) Ramana Murthy had stated that the cavern is being constructed to withstand natural disasters and external threats, with safeguards in place to prevent ecological damage as well.
He had highlighted that underground storage is inherently safer and that the design follows the successful model used in Visakhapatnam. Additional safety mechanisms, including pipeline monitoring by line walkers, have also been put in place.
What Is This Cavern and How Was It Built?
The storage cavern is carved deep within granitic gneiss rock at a depth of 141 metres below mean sea level. The engineering behind the project follows the principle of hydraulic containment, meaning the surrounding groundwater pressure helps keep the LPG sealed safely within the rock chamber. The shaft extends up to 164.5 metres, ensuring a secure vertical layout for storing and transporting gas.
The construction was carried out using the drill-and-blast method, which required high-level geological assessments and precision engineering. The entire structure includes:
An access tunnel of 1.1 kilometres to remove debris and provide entry
Two main storage caverns (Cavern S1 at 220 metres and Cavern S2 at 225 metres)
Upper and lower water curtains totalling over 13 kilometres of vertical and inclined boreholes to manage water pressure and prevent gas leakage
Operation shaft of 6.5 metres in diameter equipped with submersible LPG pumps, fill lines, and safety instruments
Connecting tunnels measuring 486.2 metres to link various compartments
Overall structure embedded in hard rock for long-term durability and safety
How Is It Tested for Safety?
Before beginning storage operations, the facility underwent a critical procedure known as the Cavern Acceptance Test (CAT). Conducted from May 9 to June 6, 2025, this test involved:
Pressurisation: Filling the cavern with air to increase pressure up to 8.310 kg/cm².
Stabilisation: Closing all vents for over 100 hours to monitor for leaks while observing pressure, geological and instrument data.
Depressurisation: Gradually reducing the pressure to ensure the structure remains airtight.
All stages were completed successfully, confirming the readiness of the facility to safely store LPG.
Strategic Importance: Why This Project Matters
The Mangalore LPG cavern is not just a storage site—it is a strategic energy reserve. In situations like war, economic blockades, or natural disasters where international LPG imports might be disrupted, this cavern can act as a buffer to ensure that supply to key regions is not cut off.
The facility will receive imported LPG via the New Mangalore Port and supply it to the Mangalore LPG Bottling Plant, and also to road and rail tankers. A network of cross-country pipelines will further carry the gas to Mysore, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, ensuring smooth distribution, a report in Economictimes.in stated.
The project is seen as a vital step in India’s efforts to enhance energy security. With the growing domestic demand for clean fuel and the push for increased use of LPG in rural and urban households, infrastructure like this plays a crucial role.
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
