Puducherry to soon have piped gas connection facilities

Guidelines are being drafted to lay the framework for piped glass supply in the U.T.; once they are ready in about two months and submitted to the government, firms selected by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board will build and operate the network in all four regions of Puducherry, officials said

Officials believe the piped gas network will bring the cost of availing of cooking gas down by 15 to 20% | Photo Credit: KUMAR SS

The Union Territory will soon have the facility to provide piped gas connections for domestic, industrial, and automobile sectors, with the Industries Department setting in motion, the process to frame guidelines for City Gas Distribution (CGD). 

The guidelines, according to an official, will lay the framework for laying pipelines, adoption of suitable technology for drawing gas pipelines across roads, depths of the roads to be cut and mandatory permission that should be availed of before digging the roads. 

The framework will cover the supply of piped gas to domestic consumers, industrial users and automobiles, the official said adding that the CGD guidelines would be ready within two months. For the automobile sector, the guidelines will focus on using existing petrol/diesel stations as gas filling outlets

“We have held several consultations with relevant departments and are in the process of coming out with the guidelines. This will be forwarded to the government for its approval. Once the government gives its consent, it will take the firms selected by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) to provide a network for piped gas connections,” said an official in the Industries Department. 

Recently, a team of officials visited Nagapattinam to get a first-hand account of the newly laid piped gas network in the district of Tamil Nadu. In remote villages in Nagapattinam too, the network has been provided and is running successfully, he said.

“The feedback is that the cost will come down by 15 to 20% for availing of cooking gas,” he added. 

According to a top official, the PNGRB has identified the companies to lay, build and operate a piped gas connection network in all the four regions of Puuducherry. The board has authorised SKN Haryana City Gas Distribution Network as a lead member and Chopra Electricals, East Coast Gas and Torrent Gas to provide the distribution network for Union Territory.

Officials from the PNGRB have visited the U.T. to work out the modalities of rolling out the scheme, he added.