Domestic natural gas distribution begins at Unnikulam in Kozhikode
The Hindu
IOAGPL plans to add 25,000 houses in district to the network by June 2023
Indian Oil Adani Gas Private Limited (IOAGPL) has started domestic distribution of natural gas to 52 households in Unnikulam grama panchayat in Kozhikode. Work is in progress to ensure distribution to 81 more houses. The group expects to connect more than 25,000 households in the district to the network by June 2023.
The gas is distributed using medium density polyethylene (MDPE) pipelines of different sizes from the District Regulating Station (DRS) at the City Gate Station of IOAGPL at Unnikulam. The gas at 26 bars is passed through service regulators and customer regulators at various stages to be available at 21 millibar to domestic users.
Pipeline laying and registration of consumers are in progress in some parts of Unnikulam panchayat, while the survey to expand the network is in progress in Panangad and Balusseri panchayats, besides the remaining parts of Unnikulam. IOAGPL expects to include 300 households in the network by the end of the year.
The company also plans to provide natural gas to the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation’s industrial park at Kinaloor soon. A pipeline network of 21 km consisting of medium pressure and low pressure pipes has been commissioned for the purpose.
In the first phase of the project in Kozhikode district, 23.9 km of steel pipeline that carries gas in 26 bars has been commissioned from CGS at Unnikulam to Kunnamangalam to distribute natural gas in Kozhikode city.
In the second phase, laying of 42 km of pipeline is in progress. Hydro testing and the setting up of isolation valves are in progress along 14 km from Pavangad to Nallalam where the pipeline has already been laid. IOAGPL has already requested the Kozhikode Corporation for plots on lease to set up DRS at six centres in the city so as to begin distribution within the Corporation limits.
In 2021, five women from Mayithara, four of them MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers, found a common ground in their desire to create a sustainable livelihood by growing vegetables. Rajamma M., Mary Varkey, Valsala L., Elisho S., and Praseeda Sumesh, aged between 70 and 39, pooled their savings, rented a piece of land and began their collective vegetable farming journey under the Deepam Krishi group.