13th Jan, 2011: Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA) chairman Bhure Lal on Wednesday stated that compressed natural gas (CNG) will be available in the city from April 15, through 14 stations.
Speaking after inspecting the Bhagyanagar Gas Company at Shameerpet to ensure that the plant meets the stringent safety norms set by the EPCA, the chairman said that CNG would be about 25% to 30% cheaper than diesel, besides being environment-friendly. The Bhagyanagar Gas Limited will supply 60,000 standard cubic metres of CNG daily through a 250km pipeline.
He pointed out that the Delhi government has declared diesel a major pollutant, and has taken measures to make people opt for alternative fuels. CNG has emerged as the major alternative to diesel in the national capital, and has gone a long way in decreasing pollution levels there, he added.
Dr. Lal said that about 40,000 auto-rickshaws run on LPG, while only 3,000 run on CNG. He added that the EPCA foresees that other automobiles will switch over to using CNG since this will become more affordable for them.
The EPCA Chairman also added that the Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation has already ordered 350 CNG buses.
Dr. Bhure Lal appealed to the state government to forego VAT and other taxes so that CNG can become even more affordable, thus making more people switch over to its usage. He added that the Delhi and Gujarat governments have also given tax concessions to CNG plants, with a view to control pollution levels.
The EPCA Chairman also urged petrol pumps in the city to allocate space so that CNG-dispensing units may be set up on their premises.
Dr. Bhure Lal said that special care will be taken to ensure that CNG kits to be fitted in 3-wheelers and 4-wheelers meet all safety norms.
He also revealed that plans to supply cooking gas for domestic use are in the offing, by the same company.
The EPCA has been formed by the Union Government on the orders of the Supreme Court of India, to control pollution.
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