PM Modi dedicates Varanasi gas distribution project to the nation
Varanasi, July 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today dedicated to the nation the Varanasi City Gas Distribution (CGD) network which will supply environment friendly natural gas to the city’s households, transport sector and industries.
The project, whose foundation stone was laid by Modi on October 24, 2016 as part of the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga initiative, was dedicated in a function here in the presence of Governor Ram Naik, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries.
Two Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations have started commercial operations while another 18 will be set up in the coming years. Overall, 20,000 vehicles are expected to use CNG in the city.
Beside, Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connection work for 8,000 houses has been completed and are expected to be connected by March 2019. About 1 lakh households are likely to be covered under the project, GAIL said in a press release.
Steel pipeline has already been laid for 28 km and medium density polyethylene (MDPE) pipe laying for 102 km has been completed. About 800 km of steel and MDPE pipelines will be laid in the city as part of the project, the release added.
The Varanasi CGD project was developed simultaneously with the Jagdishpur Haldia and Bokaro Dhamra/ Barauni- Guwahati Pipeline Project (JHBDPL/BGPL), popularly known as the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga.
It will cater to the energy requirements of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Assam covering 70 districts and 3,150 villages.
Besides Varanasi, CGD networks are also being developed by GAIL at Patna, Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack enroute the pipeline, the release added.
