Kolkata CNG shortage hits car owners, triggers fuel scramble

Kolkatans who have opted for compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles over traditional petrol or diesel-powered ones in order to save on fuel costs and contribute to reducing emissions are now facing a crisis due to an acute shortage of CNG.

For much of last week, most fuel stations were out of stock of CNG. When stocks did occasionally arrive at some stations, a mad scramble ensued, with the refill queue extending beyond 1.5 km within half an hour. Many of the city's CNG vehicle owners are now regretting their decision to switch to this fuel source.

Communications consultant K Sunil Kumar said, “I bought a CNG vehicle to save on fuel bills and to act as a responsible citizen to reduce emission pollution. The situation was manageable till last year. But in the past three months, supply has been very erratic. I have been forced to fill up on petrol to go around.”

To help each other, nearly 400 CNG vehicle owners have banded together to form a WhatsApp group to alert members if they learn CNG stock has arrived at a particular fuel station. Once such a message lands, all hell breaks loose as they drop whatever they were doing to scramble for a refill.

However, officials have indicated that unless the gas is supplied via pipeline, the crisis will persist. Bengal Gas Company Ltd, a joint venture between Greater Calcutta Gas Supply Corporation and GAIL for gas distribution in Kolkata and adjacent areas, is now supplying CNG to Kolkata in tankers. Satyabrata Bairagi, CEO of BGCL, said, “Bringing CNG in caskets is a stop-gap arrangement. Road transportation has immense logistical challenges. It cannot match the steady uninterrupted supply through the pipeline."

The pipeline to the city is part of the Jagdishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-Dhamra pipeline project covering 10 south Bengal districts and the Barauni-Guwahati pipeline project covering five north Bengal districts, traversing 835 km in the state with an expected investment of Rs 4,185 crore. The city gas distribution (CGD) project utilizes the gas pipeline of GAIL to distribute CNG/PNG for domestic, commercial, and industrial gas.

Despite this, the project has been halted multiple times because of land-acquisition disputes. GAIL is now expecting the completion of pipeline laying by this June-July, and BGCL has some pending work to ensure the supply of CNG to end-users by year-end. Until then, the city’s CNG vehicle owners will have to endure this limited supply.