KOCHI: The fate of the city gas project which was started in 2016 with much hype is in limbo. The renewed tenure of the project expired in September 2021 and the number of piped natural gas (PNG) connections given so far is less than 4,500, the target is 40,000 though.
A couple of months ago, Indian Oil Adani Gas Private Ltd (IOAGPL), the implementing agency, had given an application for extending the tenure to March 2022. But the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) hasn’t given the nod for extending the deadline so far.
The IOAGPL had given similar request just before the tenure of the project expired in October 2020 and the PNGRB gave an extension up to September 2021. But the IOAGPL failed to complete the project even after getting an extension of one year.
According to the officials with IOAGPL, the project was delayed due to various reasons, including Covid-19 pandemic. “We had to face hurdles like the floods in 2018 and 2019 and Covid-19,” an official with IOAGPL said. “As the pandemic has applied brakes on almost all projects across the country, we are hopeful that the PNGRB will give its nod for extending the project by six more months,” the official said.
Even if the PNGRB gives nod for extending the deadline by six more months, completing the project will be a herculean task. The project was launched in Kochi by the then chief minister Oommen Chandy in February 2016. “We have given PNG connections to around 4,250 households so far,” officials associated with the project said.
The tussle between the IOAGPL and various local bodies is another reason for delay in implementing the project. There had been dispute between IOAGPL and various local bodies over digging up roads for laying the pipeline as part of the PNG distribution network. As the progress of the project continued to be around five percent even after three years of starting the work, the then district collector S Suhas had convened a meeting of IOAGPL and representatives of Thrikkakara municipality in January 2020.
As per the decision of the meeting, the IOAGPL should have completed the pipe-laying works in all the 43 wards in Thrikkakara municipality by April 30, 2020. Another decision was that the work on the project would be started in Eloor, Aluva and Tripunithura municipalities once the work at Thrikkakara is completed. But the IOAGPL couldn’t complete the laying of the pipeline as promised. “Now, the laying of pipeline is progressing in 13 wards in Thrikkakara. We have given around 3,000 connections in the municipality,” officials with IOAGPL said.
On Friday, industries minister P Rajeeve convened a meeting to expedite the project. The meeting attended by Hibi Eden, MP, Kochi mayor M Anilkumar, MLAs, heads of various municipalities and the officials with railways, National Highways Authority of India and various departments decided to expedite the works.
