CHENNAI: With petrochemical major Reliance, originally supposed to supply CNG to the project, pulling out on grounds of feasibility, the environment-friendly CNG project would not take off even in the next 10 years, sources here have disclosed.
Confirming to Express that the CNG project in the city has hit a roadblock, a senior State government official said that it was primarily due to the problem of assurance on sustained supply as well as the pricing mechanism for the gas to be supplied by the company to the State.
It may be recalled here that Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Murli Deora, had three years ago at a function in the city, announced that Chennai would have a CNG-run transport system by 2008.
According to Corporation sources, about two years ago, the private company approached the civic body for permission to dig up roads in order to lay the pipes to interconnect gas stations that was planned across the city.
“Though the civic body did give the permission, the company did not execute it and later we were informed that the project had been delayed due to several other reasons including viability,” a senior Corporation official told this reporter.
Besides, the astronomical costs in laying leak-proof pipes, its maintenance and hitches in product pricing seemed to delay the project by several years.
When a government official was asked about the possible time Chennai would have a CNG-driven road transport system, he said that it was highly unlikely that it would be in place even in the next ten years.
If all the stakeholders like the government, CNG supplier and the transport department, put their head together and come up with a working model of a pucca system, then the city could have the benefit of a CNG system in place perhaps in the next five years, the official added.
Confirming to Express that the CNG project in the city has hit a roadblock, a senior State government official said that it was primarily due to the problem of assurance on sustained supply as well as the pricing mechanism for the gas to be supplied by the company to the State.
It may be recalled here that Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Murli Deora, had three years ago at a function in the city, announced that Chennai would have a CNG-run transport system by 2008.
According to Corporation sources, about two years ago, the private company approached the civic body for permission to dig up roads in order to lay the pipes to interconnect gas stations that was planned across the city.
“Though the civic body did give the permission, the company did not execute it and later we were informed that the project had been delayed due to several other reasons including viability,” a senior Corporation official told this reporter.
Besides, the astronomical costs in laying leak-proof pipes, its maintenance and hitches in product pricing seemed to delay the project by several years.
When a government official was asked about the possible time Chennai would have a CNG-driven road transport system, he said that it was highly unlikely that it would be in place even in the next ten years.
If all the stakeholders like the government, CNG supplier and the transport department, put their head together and come up with a working model of a pucca system, then the city could have the benefit of a CNG system in place perhaps in the next five years, the official added.
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