Assam Government Accelerates Piped Natural Gas Connections Amid LPG Crisis
Piped Natural Gas Initiative in Assam
Guwahati, March 19: In response to the ongoing LPG shortage due to the conflict in West Asia, the Assam government is expediting the rollout of piped natural gas (PNG) connections across the state.
GAIL has successfully finished the Barauni-Guwahati natural gas pipeline, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2023. The completion of the 2.5 km segment from Panikhaiti to Noonmati faced significant delays, leaving many consumers in Guwahati who had already set up connections in limbo.
According to an official from Purba Bharti Gas Private Limited, "Some pre-commissioning tasks and testing of the Barauni pipeline are still pending. We anticipate being able to supply piped gas to approximately 6,000 consumers by the end of April."
In Guwahati, connections have been established in various neighborhoods, including Noonmati, Geetanagar, Ambikagiri Nagar, Jayanagar, Baghorbari, VIP Road, Khanapara, Dispur, Super Market, Beltola, and Hatigaon. Initially, around 100 consumers received supply as PBGPL awaited the full commissioning of the Barauni pipeline, which will facilitate the import of natural gas.
This pipeline project was initially expected to be completed by December 2021. The original budget for the gas pipeline was Rs 3,308 crore, but the revised estimate has escalated to Rs 3,992 crore.
Chief Secretary Ravi Kota held a meeting yesterday with the managing directors and CEOs of Assam Gas Company Ltd (AGCL), Purba Bharati Gas Pvt. Ltd. (PBGPL), and North East Gas Distribution Company Ltd. (NEGDCL) to assess the current PNG coverage in the state.
“We also explored the potential for expanding PNG access to more domestic consumers in Assam within the next 90 days,” he stated.
“The companies will present their expansion strategies. Once these plans are finalized, the information will be shared publicly to ensure residents in the designated areas can access this service promptly,” Kota added.
Several locations in Tezpur, Guwahati, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, and Tinsukia have been identified for approximately 12,500 new connections, and consumers have been encouraged to submit their applications.
“We have proposed around 5,000 new connections in Upper Assam, and we have sufficient piped gas supply for that. There has been no shortage of natural gas in Upper Assam to date. We are in a stable position,” stated Gokul Chandra Swargiary, Managing Director of Assam Gas Company Limited.
Currently, Assam Gas Company Limited serves piped gas to 63,000 domestic consumers, over 570 industrial clients, 1,500 commercial establishments, and various retail outlets.