According to a Business Recorder report, the Indian government is once again showing interest in the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project. For long known as IPI (Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline), the 'I' at the end had to be dropped back in 2009 after India indicated it was no longer interested in the project.
This it did after years of going back and forth, at first citing security-related concerns and later haggling over pricing in long drawn-out negotiations. Meanwhile, the US entered the scene to tell both Pakistan and India to abandon the project. New Delhi was won over with a civil nuclear deal in 2005. It returned the favour by opposing Iran's right to pursue peaceful nuclear programme within the International Atomic Energy Agency, and giving up IPI gas project.
The Singh government, it may be recalled, in January '06 removed the then petroleum minister Mani Shankar Aiyer, an ardent advocate of the IPI, replacing him with the pro-US Murli Deora. On the face of it, little has changed now to bring about a change of mind in Delhi. The Congress-led government is still headed by the same Dr Manmohan Singh. Apparently, the shifting geo-political realities in the region have urged a rethink.
Be that as it may, India should be welcomed aboard the IP project - once touted as the peace pipeline. Iran of course would be eager to see it rejoin. That though should not cause any further delays in the project. Already much precious time has been wasted. Pakistan needs the gas urgently to overcome its severe energy shortages. As per the present agreement, the pipeline is to fetch this country 750 million cubic feet of gas daily for 25 years from Iran's biggest gas fields in South Pars. Iran is working fast to complete the pipeline on its side, its deadline being the middle of the next year, ie 2012.
The Iranians are almost ready with the pipeline, but we have barely started moving. Work on the Pakistani side is still at a preliminary stage. Just recently, a team of experts finished conducting a survey of the 800-kilometre pipeline route, and is to submit its report to the concerned ministry in October. The next step would be a topographic survey, and geo-technical investigation for soil and rock. At this rate, the project may overshoot the completion target set for the end of 2014.
This underscores the need for expediting preparatory work for the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project. It hardly needs saying that the present crisis is going to get only worse in the coming years. Therefore, time is of essence. Given that there is no hindrance in the way of TAPI except the war in Afghanistan, it would be only proper to begin the survey and route charting as soon as possible. The war seems to be nearing an end. By the time it is wrapped up, the procedural issues and preparatory work should be ready so construction work can get off the ground immediately. What we need is a proactive policy to meet the challenges at hand.