Piped CNG gas supply to be reality soon in Rayalaseema
The Hindu
AG&P Pratham to provide 57,000 connections in Anantapur, Kadapa, Puttaparthi, Chittoor, Hindupur
With AG&P Pratham fast-tracking its project in Anantapur and Kadapa cities, the 24X7 piped compressed natural gas(CNG) supply for cooking and domestic use will be a reality by August in select towns/cities of Rayalaseema and that, at a much cheaper price compared to the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders.
The company that began its operations in June last year in the region is implementing a ₹400-crore project to provide the CNG supply to industries, automobiles, bulk users like hotels and domestic connections in erstwhile undivided Nellore, Chittoor, Kadapa and Anantapur.
AG&P Pratham assistant vice-president G.A. Venkatesh told The Hindu that the Singapore-headquartered company has a presence in 12 geographical locations/regions in the country beginning with Jodhpur in Rajasthan to several parts of Karnataka.
“The company has a target of providing 45,000 connections in Anantapur, Puttaparthi, Hindupur, and Kadapa and another 12,000 connections in Tirupati and Tirchanur in Chittoor district,” said Mr. Venkatesh and Sekhar Vajjala, the Chittoor Cluster Marketing Head. Currently, work on 900 connections has been completed.
In Anantapur, a 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder costs ₹1,066.50 while a similar weight of the CNG (methane) would cost a domestic customer ₹888.64 making it cheaper by ₹177.86. The first colonies to be covered under this project are Pilligundla colony on the city outskirts and Ramanjaneyapuram and Tilak Nagar in Kadapa.
For its operations in Anantapur, the company is laying a 100-km pipeline at a cost of ₹150 crore from Sira in Karnataka to Hindupur for which it had got permission in Andhra Pradesh, and was aiming at extending the pipeline by another 60 km to Penukonda to serve the KIA Motors India and its ancillary industries.
“Initially, we have targeted industries in Tumukunta near Hindupur for providing gas supply to diesel-using units and later reach other industries in the nearby APIIC layouts,” said the company’s regional head Venkatesh.
Almaya Munnettam (Lay People to the Fore), group in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church opposed to the synod-recommended Mass, rejected a circular issued by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and apostolic administrator Bosco Puthur on June 9 to implement the unified Mass in the archdiocese from July 3.
Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stated that “not so great decision making” contributed to his side’s defeat to India in the Group-A T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday. The batting unit came apart in the chase, after being well placed at 72 for two. With 48 runs needed from eight overs, Pakistan found a way to panic and lose. “Maybe not so great decision making,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference, when asked to explain the loss.