By- Soumya SharmaPATNA: The Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) will shortly launch piped natural gas ( PNG ) for houses and compressed natural gas (CNG) for transport sector in Patna. The project is coming up as part of the Jagdishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-Dhamra pipeline under Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Yojana, which will connect the eastern and north-eastern states to the national gas grid, said GAIL public relations executive Jyoti Kumar on Friday.“A ‘city gas station’ is being constructed at Phulwarisharif, from where the green fuel will be distributed as PNG for houses, CNG for transport sector and also to the industries as a green and clean fuel,” Jyoti told this newspaper. He said under the pilot project, PNG will be provided to around 1,200 houses in Jalalpur City, Patna campus of BIT Mesra and 96 quarters of Building Construction Department on Bailey Road.He said there is a plan for setting up CNG stations at six locations in Patna. “Under the pilot project, two stations will be completed initially for which necessary permissions have already been received. The construction work is likely to start by the end of May,” Jyoti said.He further said the Jagdishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-Dhamra pipeline project is divided into three phases to cover the regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh . This gas network will supply fuel to major industries such as the refinery plant at Barauni and various other industrial plants.“A 232-km-long spur pipeline connecting Dobhi, Barauni, Patna and Naubatpur is already in the final stages. It will supply piped domestic gas from the main Jagdishpur-Haldia pipeline. It’s one branch originates from Gaya and passes through Nalanda before reaching Begusarai while another one is from Nalanda and passes through Patna, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj and West Champaran,” Jyoti said.Deliberating on the gas grid in the region of Bihar, Jyoti said, “The main pipeline from Dhobi to Naubatpur near Patna has been completed and commissioning of the same is underway. Further, the 22km-long pipeline from Naubatpur to Phulwarisharif is likely to be completed by October 2018.”The GAIL official said the infrastructure for the project is being set up with an investment of Rs357 crore in initial five years and will be expanded for 25 years with an investment up to Rs1,257 crore. “PNG is a safe, convenient and economically cheaper in comparison with other cooking gas. With the use of natural gas, pollution in the city will be reduced to a great extent. Also, as natural gas will be used as a cooking gas, the residents will be benefited economically and free from worries of cylinders,” Jyoti added.

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