Now, piped natural gas supply to industrial dev authorities

LUCKNOW: The Yogi Adityanath government on Sunday decided to supply piped natural gas (PNG) to industrial development authorities.

The government’s decision is part of its industrialisation policy and effort to provide safe fuel to industries.

UP industrial development minister Satish Mahana said on Sunday that the industrial development authorities had been instructed to allow authorised gas companies to lay pipelines for supply of natural gas in areas under their jurisdiction.

It may be noted that the infrastructure and industrial development department issued a government order last week to chief executive officers of industrial development authorities to implement the ‘dig and restore’ policy of the urban development department in industrial areas.

This is in compliance of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) directives for development of city gas distribution (CGD) network based on geographical area.

These industrial development authorities have been directed to permit and facilitate infrastructure development by authorized gas companies for supply of piped natural gas (PNG).

Under the ‘dig and restore’ policy, permission has been given to lay underground pipelines for gas supply through the use of such technologies that do not affect or interrupt traffic and normal activities.

Alok Kumar, additional chief secretary, infrastructure and industrial development, said that to promote use of pollution-free fuel in vehicles for transportation, the UPSIDA had been instructed to support city gas distribution licensees in setting up necessary facilities for supply of CNG.

This step was to convert major highways of the state into green energy corridors, Kumar added.

According to the UP Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), around 4,875 sqm land has been earmarked in Bilhaur on Agra-Lucknow Expressway for Green Energy Corridor.

It is noteworthy that the urban development department has decided to operate 1,525 CNG buses in 15 major cities of the state and around 37 gas companies have been authorized for city gas distribution in different regions of the state.