Kolkata: Several hundred Kolkatans who have bought CNG-powered cars instead of petrol- or diesel-run ones to save on fuel costs are now regretting the decision following an acute shortage of CNG across the city. CNG is a cleaner fuel compared to diesel, and its use in transportation and cooking can help clean the city’s ambient air.
For much of last week, most fuel stations were out of stock. When stocks did occasionally arrive at some, the news spread like wildfire and a mad scramble ensued. Within half an hour, the refill queue extended beyond 1.5km.
“I bought a CNG vehicle to save on fuel bills and to act as a responsible citizen to reduce emission pollution. The situation was manageable till last year. But in the past three months, supply has been very erratic. I have been forced to fill up on petrol to go around,” said communications consultant K Sunil Kumar.
The situation is so dire that nearly 400 CNG vehicle owners have banded together to form a WhatsApp group to alert members if they learn CNG stock has arrived at a particular fuel station. Once such a message lands, all hell breaks loose as they dump whatever they were doing to scramble for a refill.
Dinesh Yadav, who operates a CNG car, said he has been filling the vehicle with only petrol over the past couple of months due to the non-availability of CNG.
Bengal Gas Company Ltd, a joint venture between Greater Calcutta Gas Supply Corporation and GAIL for gas distribution in Kolkata and adjacent areas, is now supplying CNG to Kolkata in tankers. Officials have indicated that unless the gas is via pipeline, the crisis will persist.
Satyabrata Bairagi, CEO of BGCL, said, “Bringing CNG in caskets is a stop-gap arrangement. Road transportation has immense logistical challenges. It cannot match the steady uninterrupted supply through the pipeline. Also, the CNG vehicle count in Kolkata has shot up and far exceeds the supply proportion. GAIL is expecting the completion of pipeline laying by this June-July. We have some pending work to ensure the supply of CNG to end users by year-end. Till then, we have to endure this limi-ted supply.”
Ever since the beginning of the pipeline laying work in Bengal, the project has been halted multiple times because of land-acquisition disputes. The pipeline to the city is part of the Jagdishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-Dhamra pipeline project covering 10 south Bengal districts and the Barauni-Guwahati pipeline project covering five north Bengal districts, traversing 835km in the state with an expected investment of Rs 4,185 crore. The city gas distribution (CGD) project utilizes the gas pipeline of GAIL to distribute CNG/PNG for domestic, commercial, and industrial gas.
