Kolkata latest city to get CNG pumps

Kolkata joined the league of cities having clean automotive fuel on Monday with the commercial launch of two CNG pumps, officials said.

While Indian Oil Corp set up a pump in New Town, the other was launched by BPCL in Garia, they said.

The CNG is being supplied by the Bengal Gas Company, a joint venture between GAIL and the West Bengal government.

The Bengal Gas Company has installed the dispensers, while the oil marketing companies have provided space and other infrastructure, officials said.

Another five-six CNG pumps are expected to be unveiled very soon, they said.

IOC will set up another 20 pumps in FY'22, while BPCL and HPCL are also expected to add a similar number of pumps together, officials indicated.

"The challenge is to convince car owners to convert to clean fuel and so we have asked the kit-makers to do the marketing," an official of an oil marketing company said.

A petrol vehicle can be converted to CNG at a cost of Rs 42,000-Rs 45,000 but they will have to sacrifice their boot space as the cylinder has to be installed there, he said.

The cost of running a vehicle is much cheaper on CNG than on petrol or diesel, besides it is also cleaner, he added.