6

TIMES CITY

* THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016

Lack Of LPG Stations, Govt Will & Absence Of Public Pressure Make Shift To Alternative Fuel A Distant Proposition

City off gas grid, clean

fuel yet to drive change
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

on-availability of compressed natural gas

(CNG) and lack of adequate liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stations
have delayed Chennais
shift to cleaner fuels to power its vehicles. Environmentalists advocate
CNG for use in public transport as it
is cleaner, more fuel efficient and
helps reduce pollution.
In 2010, the Union government had
proposed a gas pipeline project from
Vijaywada to Chennai via Nellore to
carry CNG. But the project was later
dropped and since then, there has been
no sign of the city getting a gas grid to
bring alternative fuel for diesel vehicles. As against a demand of more than
300 million standard cubic feet of CNG
per day in the country, what it produces
is just about one-third and Delhi is the
only city that has fully shifted to CNG
for commercial vehicles.
Is it lack of public pressure
that is holding the state
and central governments from making
alternative fuel available? A senior government official
said, In India,
such things happen only when there
is public push. Obviously, there isnt any
public pressure on
the state government
to shift to CNG or
LPG because our air
is much cleaner than
other major cities.
Sea breeze takes
away much of the pollution in the city. Also,
unlike Delhi and Bengaluru, our
buses are better maintained.
Does it then mean the city should
wait to act till the situation worsens?
In 2007, it was made mandatory to use
LPG in new autos registered in the
city, but the drive has not picked up
much steam in Chennai. On record,
more than 70% of autos that run in
the city, are LPG powered, but not in
reality. In fact, many who had shifted
to LPG in the past have gone back to
petrol, say sources in the industry.

ON A GREENER PATH
WHY LPG?

CO

NOx

NOx

22%

96%

68%

lower CO
than petrol

less NOx
than diesel

less NOx
than petrol

AUTOGAS IS GROWING

LPG HAS CLEAN ORIGINS

LPG is the most commonly used

alternative fuel in the world. Global
consumption of LPG has risen by over
50% over the past 10 years

is recovered during
the extraction of
natural gas

26
million

PM-120 times less small particle emissions

than diesel vehicles

60

7 10
of the

Source: Indian Auto LPG Coalition, nodal body for the

Auto LPG Industry in India

INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR

PIECEMEAL SOLUTIONS,
IF THE WHOLE SOUTHERN
REGION SHIFTS TO CNG, IT
MAKES SENSE

largest car
manufacturers in
the world produce
LPG-powered cars

Vipin Babu | BUSINESSMAN

Emissions by differerent vehicles

BUS

FUEL TYPE
CNG Diesel

CAR

AUTORICKSHAW

FUEL TYPE

CO (%)

0.1

NO (ppm)

45

82

CO (%)

1.6

0.1

1.8

SO (ppm)

22

120

NO (ppm)

16

45

13

CO (%)

3.5

2.6

SO (ppm)

25

125

31

NO (ppm)

15

SO (ppm)

55

30

CNG Diesel Petrol

FUEL TYPE
LPG Petrol

COcarbon monoxide,
CO2carbon dioxide, NO
nitric oxide, NOxmononitrogen oxides, SO
Sulphur dioxide

Illustration: Shinod Akkaraparambil,

Graphic: Devan

Even if CNG is
introduced in Chennai, it may not be
feasible for vehicles to shift to it unless
CNG stations are set up across south
India, said Vipin Babu, a businessman.
People in Chennai keep travelling
across cities and states in their cars.
Instead of looking for piecemeal solutions, if the whole region shifts to CNG,
it makes sense, he said. LPG vehicles
also face a similar problem as there
arent enough LPG stations outside the
city, he said. Moreover, LPG cars being

duel fuel vehicles, much of the boot

space is occupied by LPG cylinder.
How can one take such vehicles for
long journey? Where will people keep
their baggage? he wondered.
In the wake of the Supreme Courts
observations on the need to shift to
cleaner fuel to comply with European
emission control norms, Metropolitan
Transport Corporation (MTC) is contemplating to switch from diesel to
CNG, said a senior official. But it may
take a few years before we run our first

Car goes up in
flames in city

car went up in
flames on a road
near Maduravoyal.
The vehicle had two occupants and both escaped in
the nick of time. Police said
driver Giri, 28, of Sri Ram
Nagar in Kodungaiyur,
noticed smoke emanating
from the bonnet. Giri and
Kumar abandoned the car
and escaped unhurt.

Man arrested for killing

father: Police arrested a

Though Chennai has one of the highest vehicular denisities, it

has not embraced the use of CNG in public transport despite
being proven that it is cleaner and more fuel effecient

It is expected to increase in the future

vehicles around
the globe use
LPG

MTC bus on CNG, the official said.

MTC consumes about 2.4 lakh litres of
diesel daily to operate about 3,800 buses. A similar proposal was mooted by
MTC two years ago, but the government could not take it forward, the official said.
Delhi had shifted to CNG buses following a 1998 Supreme Court order.
Even though the initial cost of CNG
vehicles is higher, the higher mileage
that CNG offers will help recover the
cost, said the MTC official.

NEWS DIGEST

Cheaper LPG has

few takers as govt
gives no incentives
Karthikeyan.Hemalatha@
timesgroup.com

or Allirajan M, driving a
car with a retrofitted
LPG cylinder makes a lot
of sense. With petrol prices
hovering around `60, LPG
is cheaper than driving a
petrol car, he said. Not just
lower running costs, it also
offers convenience and safety. However, very few in the
city are willing to switch to
cleaner fuel.
Inadequate number of LPGvending machines, uncertainty
of newer technologies and lack
of state support and incentives
have not let use of cleaner fuels
gain popularity in the city. LPG
or liquefied petroleum gas is
cheaper, cleaner and is available in abundance. However,
none of the stakeholders car
manufacturers or oil companies is willing to push for it.
They point fingers at the administration for failing to push
this cleaner form.
While officials from IndianOil Corporation Ltd say the
state government is not quick
enough in giving permission to
set up gas vending outlets, representatives from automobile
industry say that selling cars
with LPG is economically not
viable.
Retrofitting cars has a
safety issue. In many cases, people use domestic cylinders to

run their cars. This is dangerous as it is not properly fixed

and is exposed to the sun when
installed in the rear, said Vishnu Mathur, director-general for
Society of Indian Automobile
Manufacturers. Original
equipment manufacturers will
produce factory-fitted cars if
they are economically viable.
For that to happen, the state has
to take the initiative with newer
policies and follow it up vigorously, he added.
Chennai and Bengaluru introduced a policy to allow new
autorickshaws to be registered
only if they run on LPG. The
policy came around the same
time in both the cities. But
Bengaluru followed it up and
ensured that all autos are running on LPG and the city has a
higher number of gas vending
stations, said Suyash Gupta,
member secretary for Indian
Auto LPG Coalition. Chennai
with its proximity to the Ennore
port does not have a problem of
supply, he added.
Officials from IOCL say
there are proposals to set up
newer vending stations. However, there is little support from
the state government. Yet, the
future of LPG is bright, said
Gupta. Globally, there is an
excess of 10 million tonnes. The
prices are stable now. It is now
up to the government to set up
more vending stations, he said.
(Inputs from Rachel Chitra)

19-year-old man for beating

his father to death after an
argument in Arumbakkam
on Thursday. Police said
Panneerselvam, 50, of
Arumbakkamhad an altercation with his son Karthikeyan. Karthikeyan then
attacked his father. Relatibes admitted an injured
Panneerselvam to Kilpauk
Medical College and Hospital, where the doctors
pronounced him dead.

Conference on tackling
calamities: The department of social work and
human resource management of DG vaishnav Chennai has recently conducted
an annual conference
Tanthra 16 on HR in
disaster mode, which
inspired from the recent
Chennai deluge that highlighted s the roles and
responsibilities of HR
employees in a calamity .

MoU signed for skill

development: Sri Venkateswaraa College of Technology, Sriperumbudur has
signed an MoU with USAM
Technology Solutions Pvt
Ltd for training aspirant
engineers for employment
opportunities and skill
training. USAM director
S Shivakumar and the
vice-chairman of SVCT
signed the agreement.

Campaign against
travelling on footboard:
NGO Thozhan, which
spreads awareness on
traffic rules, will conduct a
campaign against travelling
on the footboard at 67 bus
stops on January 29.
Around 500 volunteers are
expected to participate.
Call 9941142188 for details.

Cycling Yogis prepare to pedal to Light rain cools Chennai, more over weekend
Vellore on military history ride
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: What can happen in

the drop of a hat?
A revolt apparently, says Ramanujar Moulana of the Cycling
Yogis a group of avid bicyclists
and history buffs who will be
leading a troupe of 80 cyclists to
Vellore as part of the groups annual heritage ride.
Every year, around Republic
Day, we try and do a heritage
ride, says Moulana, who adds
that the group has already covered Mahabalipuram, Pulicat,
and Puducherry .
We picked Vellore this year
because the place is steeped in
pre-Independence military history, says Moulana, who adds that
the rides are so popular that registrations close the day they announce the destination.
For the Vellore ride, registrations closed within two hours of
us making the announcement,
he adds.
This year, says Moulana, the
137-kilometre (one-way) cycle
trail from Santhome in Chennai
to Vellore, co-sponsored by The
Times of India, will begin at 5 am

This year, says Moulana,

the 137-kilometre
(one-way) cycle trail from
Santhome in Chennai to
Vellore, co-sponsored by
The Times of India, will
begin at 5 am on January
24 and end back in the
city at 8pms
on January 24 and end back in the
city at 8pm. We hope to reach
Vellore by noon, tour the places
of history there and then return, he adds.
Pit stops, say the Cycling Yogis, include the Vellore Fort,
which is reported to be the site for
the earliest revolt against the
British which took place in July
1806.
The Fort, surrounded by a
moat, and built in the 16th century by Sinna Bommi Nayak, a subordinate chief under Vijayanagar Kings, is unique in several
ways, among them the fact that it
holds a temple, mosque and
church within its gates.

HC summons health
secy on report of ticks
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: Two senior IAS officers, health secretary J Radhakrishnan and forest secretary
Hansraj Verma appeared in the
Madras high court on Friday after being summoned by a division bench for their failure to file
timely report on the tick and lice
menace spreading to humans
via gaurs in Poolathur region of
Kodaikanal hills.
The bench of Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice R Mala,
recording their appearance, however, expressed its happiness
over the steps taken by the Tamil
Nadu government in eradicating animal-borne diseases. Health secretary submitted that
animal-borne health hazards
were first eradicated in Kodaikanal and that the government had
been taking steps to eradicate it
throughout the Western Ghats.
We are happy over the steps
taken by the government in eradicating diseases, and hope that
it will be continued as per the

submission of the health secretary and forest secretary, said

the judges.
The matter relates to a PIL filed by A R Gokulakrishan of Poolathur village near Kodaikanal, seeking steps to prevent animal-borne health hazard posed
to people residing in the Western
Ghats . He said besides damaging standing crops such as coffee, tea, pepper, banana and cardamom, Indian Guars invaded
human settlements and spread a
mysterious endemic diseases.
According to Gokulakrishnan, there are research papers
confirming that ticks and the lice which breed on the skin of Indian Gaurs were the root-cause
of the diseases.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul had during the last hearing said, We
have no option but to direct the
personal appearance of principal secretary of health department and principal secretary of
forest and environment department.

Chennai: After remaining elusive

since the December deluge, the
city received a brief spell of rainfall on Friday in several localities,
reducing temperatures slightly.
More light rainfall is likely to
over the weekend, the Met office
said, ruling out the possibility of
heavy rainfall.

Weather experts said the current trace shower had little to do

with the northeast monsoon. It is
just a spell over Karnataka that

WARM DAYS AHEAD

moved towards the east, bringing
the drizzle, said Y E A Raj, former
head of the Chennai Regional Meteorological Centre. Adyar, Man-

daveli, Royapettah, Ambattur and

Velachery received light rain on
Friday. Chennai, on an average, receives 22.5mm of rainfall in January. While the rain caught the city
by surprise, overcast skies spiked
the minimum temperature in the
city.
After experiencing cold nights
and pleasant days for more than
two weeks, Chennais minimum

temperature shot up over the past

two days from 20C to touch 24C.
The maximum was around 30C.
This is the only time of the
year, we can expect cool weather at
least during the nights. We did
have cold nights in the beginning
of the year, said James Mani, an
ex-serviceman who resides in Lotus Colony, Nandanam. But the
days are getting hotter TNN

The Cycling Yogis, who also

organise rides to commemorate
World Heritage Day (April) and
Madras Day (August) as well as a
Heritage Site Cleanup (Heritage
Week, November) every year, say
they are always seeking newer
older places that they can take
rides to.
After lunch in Vellore, there
will be a brief interactive session
followed heritage tour of the Fort
Vellore along with the mayor of
Vellore and corporation officials.
After that, the cyclists and cycles
will be transported to the starting
point in Chennai, says Moulana,
who adds that the ride is free of
cost.

Moneylender
beaten to death
in Chengalpet
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: A moneylender was

beaten to death when he demanded a man who had taken a loan of
`5,000 to return the money.
The assault took place when
he was on his way to his nephews
house in Chengalpet on Thursday. Police arrested two people on
murder charges in connection
with the fatal assault and a court
sent them to jail.
Police said Kothandam of
Thimmavaram near Chengalpet
was employed in a private company and also did a side business of
giving out loans on interest.
Kothandam loaned `5,000 to
Sankar and asked him for the money several times, a police officer said. But Sankar always gave
him the dodge.
Kothandam stopped Sankar
and his nephew Velu on the road
on Thursday and again asked for
the money. Sankar and Velu turned violent and attacked Kothandam, the officer said.

DEATH
ANNOUNCEMENTS

OBITUARY

REMEMBRANCES

2ND ANNIVERSARY
A.VIJAYALAKSHMI
DOD : 23.01.2014
Mother of A.Rajendran,
Asst.General Secretary
Southern Railway
Mazdoor Union, S.Rly
Mob : 9444766264
A Fountainhead of knowledge and always a
source of inspiration, your strong Leadership, Hardwork, Ethics, Principles and
Values will continue to guide us. Your
vision will motivate us forever.
- S.R.M.U.FAMILY