The GAIL sponsored Air Pollution Research and Disease Diagnostic Centre (APRDC) at KEM Hospita, Mumbai, was inaugurated by Proshanto Banerjee, chairman and MD, GAIL (India) Ltd. The APRDC has been instituted at the department of chest medicine and Environmental Pollution Research Centre of KEM Hospital.

The APRDC is part of GAIL''s corporate social responsibility initiative. KEM Hospital is the first of the 22 such centres, in various cities across India, that will be set up by GAIL in the coming two to three years.

GAIL has allocated Rs20 lakh for the APRDC at KEM. With the APRDC being functional, KEM has acquired a breath condensate system which monitors biochemical lung function testing, and another system for the analysis of hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide is a marker for inflammation in the lungs) in exhaled breath.

GAIL also intends to supply compressed natural gas to the transport sector in various cities such as Indore, Pune, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Sholapur, Ahmedabad, Kota, Chennai, Bangalore, etc, in a move to combat air pollution, along with setting up diagnostic centres such as the one in KEM hospital.

GAIL''s community initiatives include environment protection and horticulture, infrastructure, drinking water, sanitation, healthcare and medical facilities, community development, educational aids and literacy enhancement.

GAIL reported a turnover of Rs19.47 billion for the previous financial year.