Why are CNG buses still a ‘pipe’ dream for Hyderabad?
HYDERABAD: What should Hyderabad do to get its share of Compressed Natural Gas, commonly known as CNG? Should it wait till its air quality deteriorates to the dangerous levels seen in Delhi? While the State government seems to have a solid plan in place to boost electric vehicles market in the city, there are many technological challenges that this sector still faces. At this juncture, many cities have been adopting CNG as a “bridge fuel” till the EV market is fully mature. It helps in a major way as the carbon emissions from CNG is a whopping 50 per cent less than traditional fuel sources.
As the Bhagyanagar Gas Limited (BGL), which has the rights to supply CNG in Hyderabad, and GHMC constantly spar with each other, the city suffers from a lack of CNG. As of now there are only about 32 CNG stations in the city, compared to 409, 254 and 424 in Gujarat, Maharashtra and New Delhi respectively. As per information from BGL sources, there is no shortage of natural gas in Hyderabad. The problem is of denial of permissions by various government departments like GHMC, Hyderabad Road Development Corporation (HRDC) and Roads and Buildings department for digging along the roads to lay natural gas trunk line.
These are the lines through which CNG and PNG (piped natural gas) are brought to the city. Almost 80 per cent of the permissions denied were by GHMC. The denial of permission has stalled the works of laying around 400 km of natural gas trunk line, passing along Balanagar junction-Allwyn crossroads-Gachibowli-Toli Chowki covering areas like Hafeezpet, Miyapur, Madinaguda, and BHEL. Permission to lay internal supply pipelines for households in KPHB has also been denied.
While a small town like Kakinada has about 16,000 PNG connections, Hyderabad has just about 7,800, although BGL was incorporated in 2003 exclusively to cater to three cities including Hyderabad, in the united AP. PNG is cheaper than LPG cylinders by almost `4 per kg and is also touted to be safer. States like Maharashtra and Gujarat have as many as 17.7 lakh and 11.2 lakh PNG connections.
If the main trunk line of BGL is allowed to be laid, then PNG can be provided to almost 1-1.5 lakh households and CNG stations can be established along the route, apart from supplying of CNG to bus depots alongthe way.
When contacted and asked about BGL not being granted permission to lay natural gas trunk line, GHMC, Chief Engineer (Maintenance), Mohammed Ziauddin, said, “Only in 2017-18 there was a blanket ban on road cutting works in the city. Permissions were denied for many companies who approached us, including a major corporate which had asked permission for 900km.
It is not like BGL has been singled out. Before last year, apart from ban on road cutting during monsoon months (June -September), there was no problem. BGL has been in Hyderabad since many years. It could have taken permission and completed works but they applied for permissions for only 49km in 2016 and 2017.Later they applied for permission to lay pipeline for 240km but then there was blanked ban so we could not permit them.”
No rise in CNG buses in Hyd since TS formation
Increasing the number of buses running on CNG continues to be a “pipe dream” for Hyderabad. It was in 2011 that, for first time, about 150 buses running on CNG were rolled out. A total fleet of 350 CNG buses was planned. Although it has been seven years since then, there has been no rise in the number of CNG buses in Hyderabad to tackle the growing air pollution levels. As per figures obtained from TSRTC, of the 3,812 buses running in Greater Hyderabad limits, only 134 are CNG.
TSRTC officials cite lack of piped gas supply to its bus depots as a reason behind it. Of the 32 bus depots under TSRTC in Greater Hyderabad, only Medchal depot has a CNG station whereas at two other depots — Hakimpet and Picket — CNG is supplied in form of cylinder cascades. TSRTC has been planning since past few years to increase the number of CNG-run buses in the city to at least 10 pc of its city fleet, based on recommendation by TS Pollution Control Board. But, leave apart increasing the CNG buses, TSRTC had to cut down on its original fleet of 150 buses running on the green fuel to 134. When contacted, TSRTC, Executive Director (Engineering), M Ravinder, said, “How can we run buses on CNG when there is no supply of the gas to bus depots?”