Nagpur: Domestic supply of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) officially commenced in Nagpur district from Friday. The gas reached eight houses in Kavya Enclave in CIDCO Colony, Butibori, according to senior officials of Haryana City Gas (HCG).The supply began under the Mumbai-Nagpur-Jharsuguda gas pipeline project undertaken by Gas Authority of India (GAIL), with work from Mumbai to Nagpur completed. HCG is the distributor for Nagpur district. Officials said PNG supply to Mihan, Jamtha and housing projects in surrounding areas will commence soon. The target is to deliver PNG to every household in the entire Nagpur district within the next 4 to 5 years, they said.Officials said PNG is safer than LPG cylinders and more economical, with savings of 25 to 30% per month. If the LPG rate is approximately Rs68 per kg, the PNG rate is approximately Rs48 per kg, they said. “PNG is lighter than air and, in case of a leak, dissipates quickly, reducing fire risk,” they said adding that direct pipeline supply removes concerns about cylinders running out. HCG officials said registration of 1,000 households in Butibori has been completed, and supply is already being provided to 12 companies in the industrial zone. The company currently has 28 CNG pumps operational in the district.Now, Nagpur joins the list of cities like Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Delhi, and Ahmedabad with PNG facilities. Registration process is underway for 250 units from the Butibori industrial zone, and PNG supply to them will begin soon. Land has been sought from Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation MIDC to develop PNG supply infrastructure in the Hingna industrial zone. Supply is expected to commence within the next two months after the land is allotted.
