Indian Oil-Adani Gas Pvt Ltd (IOAGL) targets establishing infrastructure to provide one lakh piped domestic natural gas connections by the end of 2020. The target has been set for the city and its suburbs, where the joint venture company is laying pipelines both in the Kochi Corporation and neighbouring municipalities.
The New Year and the target of one lakh connections will mark a big breakthrough for the piped gas provider, which has been pushing hard to achieve a breakthrough over the last five years. IOAGL has so far provided about 1,200 domestic connections in six divisions of the Kalamassery Municipality.
IOAGL deputy general manager Ajay Pillai told The Hindu on Thursday that piped gas infrastructure was expected to be ready in the municipalities of Aluva, Thripunithura, Eloor, Maradu, Kalamassery and Thrikkakara as well as in 15 wards of the Kochi Corporation. He was speaking after piped gas connection was released for the first home in the Thrikkakara Municipality.
K.P. Padmavathi of Vadakkemaliekkal house in Ward 26 of the municipality was all smiles after she lighted her gas stove with natural gas as fuel for the first time to boil a pot of milk. Flanked by Assistant Collector M.S. Madhavikutty and Municipal Chairperson Usha Praveen, she said it was quite an experience.
Ms. Madhavikutty said Kerala towns were lucky to take advantage of a less polluting fuel like natural gas.
Councillor P.S. Sajal said he was extremely happy with the first gas connection being provided in his division as he was among the first members to take a big interest in getting the infrastructure works going as soon as it was announced in the municipal council.
Mr. Pillai said that about 1,000 gas connections were expected to be provided by the end of January in the municipality. Works are on in divisions 18, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 30, he said.
IOAGL had already received 40,000 applications registered for fresh connections in these municipalities as well as the corporation. The registrations from the corporation area account for 20,000. Mr. Pillai expressed confidence that pipe-laying work in the corporation area would take off. He also said that there was no resistance from the people. In fact, people were only too eager to have the new fuel, he added.
The IOAGL official said that there should be no worries for the civic authorities about the company’s road restoration works after the pipelines are laid. The Public Works Department has been satisfied with the restoration works, he said.
The Ernakulam geographical area has a population of around 34 lakh living in around 8.5 lakh households. If about 50% of these households get piped gas connections it would amount to about 4 lakh to 4.5 lakh connections, said Mr. Pillai.
Meanwhile, works in Thrissur and Palakkad districts are about to take off, said Mr. Pillai. The first connections in Thrissur could be achieved early this year, he said.
