GAIL Gas adds one more CNG Station to strengthen the network in Bengaluru
- 22 CNG Stations commissioned till date to refuel the vehicles with clean fuel in garden city
Bengaluru: December, 2020: A new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station adds further impetus to the building of eco-friendly mobility network in the garden city. GAIL Gas, a City Gas Distribution Company today commenced the CNG sale at their 6th Company Owned Company Operated (COCO) outlet, situated at Sy.No: 76, ITI ‘B’ Area at K R Puram.
The CNG Station was inaugurated by Shri Tarun Kapoor, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, in the presence of Sh. ES Ranganathan, Director Marketing, GAIL (India) Ltd., Sh. P Murgesan, ED Southern Region GAIL (India) Ltd, Shri Vivek Wathodkar, Chief General Manager & Officer-In-Charge, Bengaluru, GAIL Gas Limited. along with other officers from GAIL & GAIL Gas.
This CNG Retail outlet is the 22nd station of the GAIL Gas network in Bengaluru. The CNG station has the capacity to refuel CNG in around 7,200 Autos, Cars & Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) and around 200 heavy duty vehicles like buses in a day. It will be operational round the clock to facilitate the availability of Green fuel for the city dwellers.
The 21 other CNG Stations already operational in the city are located in Laggere, Sungadakatte, Jigani, Hardware Technology Park (Off new Airport access Road from Hennur), Peenya, Bommasandra Industrial Area, Agara, Bhadrappa Layout (Near Hebbal), Sarjapur Road, Hunsamaranahalli (New Airport Road), KIADB IT Park (Kondenahalli), Kattigenahalli (Reva University), Vidyaranyapura, Bannerghatta Road (after NICE Road), Anekal, Honnenahalli (Doddaballapur Road), Devanahalli town, Machohalli (Magadi Road), Dodaballapur Near RL Jalappa College, Hosakote, Dommasandra. In order to increase the availability of CNG across Bengaluru, GAIL Gas plans to commence business in 16 more CNG Stations by January, 2021 located at Bommasandra (NH), Mahadevpura, Sarjapur Village, Heggondanahalli Village, Goravigere, Pantharapalya Ring Road, Kengeri, Hoskote Village, Yelachahalli Village, Bidarahalli, Thanisandra, Chikkabidarakallu Jindal Nagar, Arishinakunte, Sondekoppa circle Nelamangala, Herohally village (Magadi Road), Tavarekere (Magadi Road), Avalahalli Village-Yelahanka, Kadathanamale - Dodaballapur Road.
In addition to above 16 more CNG stations are ready the commercial operation of which will start by Jan-2021. GAIL Gas also has ambitious plans of adding a further 35 CNG Stations in the coming financial year which will take the total number of CNG Stations in the city to 73. With the commissioning of CNG Stations Bengaluru will join the big league of CNG driven cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Indore, Agra etc.
Why CNG?
CNG is a new age fuel which scores high as much on its green credentials as for its affordability. On the pollution front, CNG is the most benign of fossil fuels with the least carbon foot print of all. C02 emissions are lesser in CNG by about 27%, CO emissions by about 84%, NOx emissions by about 58% and Particulate Matter(PM) emissions CNG by about 97%. While CO2, CO and NOx adversely impact the environment, PM emissions is one of the leading causes of air pollution related illnesses in big cities such as Bengaluru.
On the affordability front, running cost of a CNG Auto is about Rs. 1 /Km compared to Rs. 2/Km on Auto LPG, resulting in savings of about 50%. Running cost of a CNG Car is about Rs. 2.35/Km compared to Rs. 4.35/Km on Diesel, resulting in savings of about 46%. In the case of CNG buses the savings is around 30%. CNG is therefore a cheaper and socially responsible alternative to conventional fuels.
About GAIL Gas
GAIL Gas Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of GAIL (India) Limited – A Maharatna PSU, is authorized by Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) to implement City Gas Distribution Project in Bengaluru Urban and Rural district in year 2015.
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Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
