Gas project at a crossroads following municipality's rider

KOCHI: The Indian Oil-Adani Gas Pvt Ltd (IOAGPL), which is implementing the piped natural gas (PNG) project in Ernakulam district, plans to start laying pipelines to Thrikkakara municipality next week, but the Kalamassery municipality is adamant it will not allow this till the company completes the work at five wards in the municipality."If the company wants to enter Thrikkakara, it needs to lay pipelines through the Cochin University (Cusat) area. We will not give permission till they complete the entire work in the five wards in Kalamassery,"  said Jessy Peter, Kalamassery municipal chairperson.

The five wards in Kalamassery, where IOAGPL has been given permission are ward number 10, 12, 13, 14 and 20. "We want the company to complete the work fast," she said. "The company  has not been granted permission for trenching to lay the gas pipeline in any other wards," Jessy said. According to her, the company needs to start trenching via ward number 27 to enter Thrikkakara.The IOAGPL is a 50:50 joint venture between the state-run Indian Oil Corporation(IOC) and Adani Group to distribute piped natural gas (PNG) in Ernakulam district.

The project, which was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in February last year, envisages supply  to domestic, commercial, industrial and transportation sectors in the Ernakulam geographical area covering about 3,504 sq km. IOAGPL will be investing about `435 crore in the project over a period of five years to set up the pipeline network across the district.Senior officers said the company has already provided piped gas connection to 750 homes in Kalamassery and the work is on to connect more homes in the five wards of the municipality. "The PWD has stopped us from digging the road from May 15 ahead of the monsoon. Now, it is October and the PWD is yet to give us permission to continue our work," said a senior  IOAGPL executive. 

Jessy Peter also conceded the PWD authorities are not cooperating with the project. "We had approached the PWD for getting the necessary permission for the company to dig up the roads for laying the gas pipeline, but their approach has been disappointing," she said.

The IOAGPL is a 50:50 joint venture between the state-run Indian Oil Corporation(IOC) and Adani Group to distribute piped natural gas (PNG) in Ernakulam district

IOAGPL will be investing about I435 crore in the project over a period of five years to set up the pipeline network across the district