An energy expert with experience in handling the gas supply chain at international level, has said that the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) should approve the project to supply piped gas to domestic consumers without any misgivings.
Bhamy V Shenoy, who has handled such projects in the Republic of Georgia, has said that given the benefits of the projects the councillors should have sought to expedite the project rather than create hurdles to it.
The proposed piped gas supply to the city under a Central Government project was supposed to have been discussed and approved in the MCC Council meeting on Thursday. But the members abstained from the meeting apparently at the behest of a few local MLAs including S.A. Ramdas who are opposed to the project on the grounds that it entails digging up the roads which are already in bad shape. This led to the Mysuru MP, Pratap Simha, lashing out at Mr. Ramdas of his own party.
Mr. Shenoy said all over the developing world even where there is no domestic natural gas supply, it is a preferred cooking fuel. Ridiculing the objections of the councillors he questioned whether the elected representatives will oppose repairing UGD on the grounds that roads will be dug.
He said compared to LPG, piped gas is a preferred fuel for several reasons including relatively higher safety. It also ensures energy security as it is not easy to disrupt gas supply owing to strike by the employees.
Drawing attention to the country’s policy to increase its share of natural gas in the energy basket - from 6 per cent to 15 per cent in the next few years, Mr. Shenoy said one of the strategies to reach that goal is to supply gas to residences in most urban centres, and added that Mysuru is fortunate in being one such centre.
He said the argument of the councillors and the MLAs lacked merit and supported Mr .Simha for coming out openly on the subject.
