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Naik promises a deluge

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI DEC. 11. The Union Petroleum Minister, Ram Naik, today declared that sufficient gas will be available not only for the transport sector and power plants but also for industries, commercial establishments and households in Delhi by 2004. Speaking at the inauguration of the 23-km natural gas pipeline laid by Indraprastha Gas Limited, he announced that to augment supply of natural gas, one LNG terminal with 5 million tons per annum capacity will be commissioned at Dahej in Gujarat by December 2003 and this would increase the availability of gas in Delhi through which the HBJ pipeline passes.

Further, while oil companies have already invested Rs 10,000 crores to improve oil quality, for introducing Euro-III quality fuel they have planned investments worth Rs 18,000 crore more in the next two and a half years, he added.

The Government, Mr. Naik said, was currently examining the final report of the Expert Committee set up under the CSIR Director-General, R.A. Mashelkar, to provide a road map for future emission norms. And soon it would put in place an Auto Fuel Policy for the country.

The Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Santosh Gangwar, spoke on the use of alternate fuels in Delhi. He said that besides providing ultra-low sulphur diesel to four metros including Delhi, the Centre has also permitted use of environment-friendly LPG as an auto-fuel and oil marketing undertakings have identified 228 locations for setting up auto- LPG dispensing stations in various Metros and big cities.

Mr Gangwar said blending of petrol with 5 per cent ethanol was also on the cards as it reduces emissions, saves foreign exchange and benefits sugarcane farmers. Likewise, plans are afoot to prepare bio-diesel which is sulphur-free and has lower exhaust emissions of unburnt carbon, carbon monoxide and particulate matter.

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