By IANS
Agartala : Tripura is all set to become the first state in eastern India to use compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative fuel for running vehicles.
Tripura Natural Gas Company Ltd (TNGCL), a subsidiary of the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL), has commissioned a mega project to supply CNG to an estimated 20,000 vehicles in the first phase.
"The introduction of CNG would be cheap and environment friendly. The cost of CNG would be almost half than the price of petrol," U.D. Choubey, chairman-cum-managing director of GAIL, told journalists here Wednesday.
According to the company's plans, CNG would be used mostly in auto-rickshaws, small cars and buses. Expert teams are already engaged in setting up workshops for suitably converting the engines.
"The government would give priority in issuing permits and bank loans to those who will ply CNG-run vehicles," said state Transport Minister Manik Dey. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar inaugurated the first CNG station here Wednesday.
Agartala will be the fourth city in India after New Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow to run CNG vehicles on a large scale.
The Assam and Tripura governments have shareholdings in the TNGCL, which has been supplying piped natural gas to more than 6,410 domestic consumers, besides 100 commercial establishments and industrial units in the capital city and its outskirts.
A kilogram of CNG will cost Rs.22.50 – a litre of petrol in Agartala costs Rs.42.87 and diesel Rs.30.39.
"With one kg CNG an auto rickshaw can ply 36.75 km, a car 22.05 km and a bus 4.09 km while with one litre petrol an auto rickshaw can ply 25 km, a car 15 km and with one litre diesel a bus would be able to ply 3.5 km," GAIL officials said.