NASHIK: Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is less polluting and considerably affordable and has been made available in the city. As there has been a considerable rise in the prices of both (petrol and diesel), CNG has come up as a viable alternative the city truly needed.
Deshdoot Times spoke to officials at MNGL operated depot, Vilholi, on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the press.
CNG is sold in kilograms compared to petrol which is sold in liters. Unlike petrol and diesel, the rates of CNG remain stable. They are revised based on a monthly basis, and the price depends on where it is being transported from. Since Nashik only has two operational stations, the rest of the gas is brought in from Pune, thus increasing the cost.
“The price of CNG is correlated to the cost of petrol and diesel as the rising prices of latter tend to increase transport costs. In the long term, it will affect overheads.” said the official.
Overall CNG is very affordable. Since starting the operation in Nashik, the price has varied between Rs 65/kg to Rs 81/kg. There is a constant rise and fall but not as drastic as seen in other fuels.
He added, “Most customers belong to other cities as the gas station is on the highway. There is slow adoption in the city, but the response from city residents is lukewarm. Gradually, we will increase more stations as the rate of adaptation is likely to increase in the citizens.”
“The average waiting time during peak hours is around 40 minutes, but in non-peak hours one does not have to wait more than 5 minutes. Ours is a 24-hour location, so we have even distribution, but as of now, we have seen people waiting hours,” said a second official.
Since the change in global events, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, there has been a constant increase in prices. Definitely, global events do impact this commodity.
“I recently have fitted my car with a CNG kit. The price of petrol was getting unaffordable. However, I am disappointed with the long waiting time, I have been in this queue for the last 25 minutes, and I might have to wait for a bit longer. Might have to get used to this.” – Shivaji Patil, Nashik resident
“I am travelling from Indore to Kalyan and had run out of CNG. I found out about this station on maps and don’t mind waiting for it. We are used to it in our city. My main concern is the affordability as CNG also provides good mileage.” – Customer, outside district
Article by: Aditya Pawar, Intern at Deshdoot Times
