CNG stations to cost govt an arm and a leg

SHIMLA: Even as the arduous task of setting up mother and daughter CNG stations in Una and Manali still remains a big challenge for Himachal, the government has urged Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) to bear additional expenditure of Rs 17 crore as free land and trucks are being provided for the facility.

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 24

Even as the arduous task of setting up mother and daughter CNG stations in Una and Manali still remains a big challenge for Himachal, the government has urged Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) to bear additional expenditure of Rs 17 crore as free land and trucks are being provided for the facility.

With the cost of 1-kg compressed natural gas (CNG) working out to be almost Rs 125 per kg, it has been conveyed to the state government that at least 2,000-kg CNG will have to be bought every day. Himachal has written to GAIL to bear Rs 17 crore capital expenditure on providing the CNG supply.

The trial run of CNG buses between Manali and Rohtang was undertaken on July 21 and 23, 2016, but with the non-availability of regular CNG supply, the eco-friendly buses have not yet been bought.

With the condition of purchase of a minimum of 2,000-kg CNG daily, Himachal could also seek enhancement in the number of vehicles which the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had restricted between Manali and Rohtang in a day. Moreover, the tourist season on the route will last about six months as the stretch is snow-bound during this period. The NGT had imposed hefty environmental compensation charges on Rohtang-bound vehicles and also restricted their number to 1,200 per day, which includes 800 petrol and 400 diesel vehicles. It is in pursuance of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directions (May 5, 2015) restricting the number of vehicles plying between Manali and Rohtang that the state government has been exploring all possibilities of purchasing CNG and battery-operated buses. The restrictions imposed by the NGT on the number of vehicles has severely hit tourism activities and the livelihood of thousands of people of the area.Since the laying of the CNG pipeline between Una and Manali by GAIL will take at least six months, the purchase of CNG buses had been put on hold for some time. The HRTC has also decided to purchase 20 CNG buses with each vehicle to cost about Rs 60 lakh. The CNG mother station will come up at Tahliwal in Una and the daughter station at Manali. The government has already provided land and other infrastructure required for the purpose.

It is following the successful trial run of a 27-seater mini-CNG bus on the 51-km stretch between Manali and Rohtang that it has been decided to invite tenders for starting the CNG bus service. However, with the NGT restricting the number of petrol and diesel vehicles plying on the route to 1,200 per day, it remains to be seen whether private players will be keen to enter into the area.