PUNE: With the ambitious target of having 80 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) pumps in the city by March 2019, the Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) is doing everything possible to achieve this target. Grappling with severe unavailability of land in the city, MNGL has begun talks with various petroleum dealers in the city to accommodate CNG pumps in their premises.
According to Santosh Sontakke, Director - Commercial, MNGL, he aims to set up at least one CNG pump in every 2 to 2.5 km radius in Pune. “If we are aiming to convert more and more vehicles into CNG in order to prevent pollution, there is also a need to set up more pumps. There are long lines outside CNG pumps and more pumps need to be set up to accommodate the rising number of CNG vehicles. We plan to have about 10 new CNG pumps by the end of this financial year,” he explained.
He added that MNGL is planning to tie up with oil companies and retail petrol outlets in Pune, as separate land to set up new pumps is not available in the city limits. “We have established communication with the concerned stakeholders and are at different stages of approvals for adding CNG pumps at existing retail petrol outlets,” Sontakke stated.
He further added that the state-owned gas company is in touch with all local municipal bodies, including Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), as well as the various Cantonment Boards in Pune limits, to obtain spare land on lease to set up CNG pumps. “If they identify any piece of land, we will be more than willing to lease it and develop a CNG pump there. We are looking for land on priority in the main city areas, Hinjewadi, Baner, Hadapsar, Model Colony and others, to ease the long lines of vehicles at the existing facilities in the city,” he explained.
