Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jul 29: As the price of petrol has crossed Rs 100 a litre, more and more people are opting to use compressed natural gas (CNG) for their vehicles. But the supply is not matching up to the demand, as the CNG storage plant has not yet become a reality.

Now, CNG is being supplied to only the four petrol bunks located in Kavoor, Mulky, Hosabettu and Adyar in Dakshina Kannada district. People prefer CNG as its price is about half of the petrol price at Rs 55 and it gives one and half the mileage of petrol. Therefore, several have been fitting CNG kits to their vehicles.

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About 2,000 vehicle owners are using CNG kits here. Now, leading car manufacturers have been releasing CNG editions of cars. There is an appreciable increase in the number of those who buy these variants.

The said four pumps get CNG from Bengaluru which are supplied in light vehicles. The vehicle which brings 360 kg of CNG itself consumes 70 kg of this fuel. The customers therefore get only the remaining 290 kg. Vegetable trucks coming from Chikkamagaluru and Madikeri wait near these pumps at night and take away 100 kg of CNG as soon as the supply is replenished. The balance CNG can suffice only for about 20 vehicles, says an anonymous consumer.

Because CNG is cost effective, helps in making engines more powerful, and less polluting. Most of the cities have high demand for CNG now. Therefore there is a need to build a storage plant for CNG here. Gas Authority of India Ltd chief manager, Manjesh, says that the construction of the plant is underway in the city and soon all the pumps will get regular supply of CNG.