GAIL starts supply of CNG for scooters and three-wheelers in Bhuabneshwar

BHUBANESHWAR: City transport has taken a green turn with the start of compressed natural gas (CNG) supply to three wheelers and scooters in Bhubaneshwar.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan today inaugurated the service from two gas stations in Odisha’s capital.

GAIL (India) Limited has begun to offering gas to CNG-run scooters and three wheelers under its City Gas Distribution (CGD) project.

Director (projects), GAIL, Ashutosh Karnatak said two more stations, at Khandagiri and Tamando, are being constructed. Bhubaneshwar will eventualy have 15 and Cuttack 10 such CNG ready.

There is considerable excitement amongst petrol cabs given the cost benefits to shifting to CNG. “A CNG-run scooter can run 160 km with 2kg of gas in its tank and an autorickshaw a 120 km per 4 kg of CNG. A person can save 30 per cent in auto rickshaw and 50 per cent in CNG run scooters over conventional fuels,” Karnatak told the media.

“Smartcity” Bhubaneshwar is not counting on CNG alone to reduce its carbon emissions. City authorities have applied for approval for a Rs 219.75 crore e-mobility system to the Centre. On this 32 km long transit corridor that comes with a dedicated bicycle lane will ply nearly a 100 electric busses and 500 e-rickshaws.

Until the 2,655 km Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas pipeline under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga’ are ready, gas to CNG rickshaws and scooters will be supplied in special containers from Vijayawada.

On Sunday Pradhan will also lay the foundation stone for two gas pipelines- the Dhamra-Angul main line and Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Paradip spur line.