The New Indian Exp
City Gas May Come into Effect by Mid-2015
KOCHI:
The ambition of the state to shift to a new generation fuel in the form of LNG has met with a block. But all is not lost. There still exists a glimmer of hope for the people of Ernakulam district as the City Gas Distribution (CGD) project is likely to roll out by mid-2015. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) is finalising the bids submitted for the project and the entity which is entrusted with the implementation of the project.
“City Gas project, which aims supplying piped gas to households, will be commissioned at the earliest so that the apprehension about lying underground pipelines will be addressed. In Kochi, 42 km of pipeline has been laid and the project will start as soon as the licence from the Centre for gas distribution is received,” Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in Kerala Assembly recently.
The successful bidder will have to develop the infrastructure for supplying piped natural gas to domestic consumers, including homes, hostels and hotels. According to Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) officials, it will take only six months to implement CGD project in Kochi as the pipeline laying in the city is almost complete.
“The project will start from Bolghatty. From there it will be connected to the city. Areas such as Kalamassery and Kakkanad can be covered without much effort,” GAIL sources said. If all goes as planned Ernakulam will be the first district in entire South India to have a City Gas Distribution network.
“The last hope for the LNG Terminal at Puthuvype is the effective implementation of City Gas project. It will not only prove that it is safe but also demonstrates the merits of LNG. Once the City Gas project is in place the government can also showcase the project across the state. The impact will be more and the issues regarding the pipelines can be resolved,” said M P Sukumaran Nair, Director, Centre for Green Technology and Management.
