SAKINETIPALLI (EAST GODAVARI): The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh Gas Distribution Corporation (APGDC) Limited for supplying piped LPG to Mori village in East Godavari district.
More than 1,100 households will get cooking gas supply through pipeline. The project would be completed soon, said East Godavari District Collector H. Arun Kumar, who visited Mori village and interacted with the villagers.
“Gas wells were located in Ponnamanda village, which was very near to Mori. Piped gas supply will reduce cost and is safer than using refilled LPG,” the Collector said.
The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) which were operating in the region along the coast in many places were maintaining wells in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin. Supply would be easy, Mr. Arun Kumar told The Hindu.
“We will fix metres to all the houses and the government will charge as per the metre reading. The survey, project works such as laying pipeline [and] fixing metres will begin shortly. Instructions have been given to the officers to study the feasibility of extending the facility to the nearby villages,” he said.
Local women who are cooking with firewood expressed happiness over the government’s decision.
“Many families are preparing food with firewood and coconut shells collected from the nearby places and women are suffering from respiratory diseases. We thank the government for making Mori into a model village,” said the Self Help Group women.
“It’s a long felt dream of the government to arrange cooking gas supply through pipelines. Though ONGC, GAIL and some private companies are exploring oil and gas from East and West Godavari and Krishna districts, the locals are not benefited in any way. The decision to supply piped gas to Mori village is a welcome decision,” said an officer.
