JOIN USThe piped natural gas (PNG) connections from Gail will come with smart meters that will help the company obtain details of consumption without entering your house.
Gail has laid 1,000 km of pipelines, including the line from Dabhol in Maharashtra, to reach 57,000 houses and commercial establishments in the city. However, PNG is supplied to only 4,600 houses and about 30 commercial establishments.
"Gail will set up 14 more stations by the end of the year to supply gas to all the 57,000 houses. By 2020, 1.32 lakh houses in the city will get PNG," Union Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation Vijay Goel said on Thursday.
The minister, who inspected the progress of the Namma Metro project and Gail pipeline, told reporters: "Gail authorities have requested expeditious processing of permission for the pipeline from from the National Highways Authority of India and the railways. I will speak to officials in this regard. They have also sought land for setting up a gas station at the (Kempegowda International) airport. I will hold talks with the company (BIAL) get the issue sorted out."
Gail Gas Ltd chief general manager Partha Jana said a smart meter costs about Rs 4,500 and the company will not charge consumers for installation. He said the data on consumption will also help detect any leakage.
"Bengaluru will face severe pollution similar to Delhi in the next five years. Moving to PNG is a necessity," he said.