PUNE Every single day, Sumit Kamathe has to attend in a protracted queue for greater than half-an-hour to replenish CNG gasoline in his automobile. Kamathe isn't alone for there are solely 60 CNG pumps in Pune catering to round 2 lakh CNG vehicles, making refueling of CNG automobiles an arduous and time-taking process for homeowners.

In the meantime, persons are more and more buying CNG automobiles over the previous few months as a result of hike in gas costs. “I purchased a CNG automobile final Diwali and the rationale behind it was the hike in petrol and diesel costs. For middle-class individuals like us, we can not afford to purchase Rs120 per litre petrol however now at any time when I'm going to replenish CNG in Pune, there are lengthy queues. So largely I want to go within the evening because it takes half-hour to 1 hour relying upon the variety of automobiles in queue,” Kamathe mentioned.

As per the Pune Regional Transport Workplace (RTO), Pune has already crossed 2 lakh CNG automobiles and the quantity is just growing. The speed of CNG gasoline has additionally elevated within the final one month, and is at present Rs77.20 per litre in Pune metropolis. Each day, round 7 lakh kg of CNG gasoline is being bought throughout the 60 CNG pumps in Pune metropolis.

Together with four-wheelers and auto-rickshaws, items transport automobiles too can be found as a CNG model. At many of the CNG pumps, there are separate lanes for auto-rickshaws. “It's great stress on the employees at CNG pumps as we now have to handle the general public, fill gasoline into the automobiles correctly, and perform cash transactions. It's a dangerous work to do and there may be heavy load day by day as in comparison with the variety of CNG automobiles, there are much less pumps in Pune,” mentioned Rakesh Pangare, a employee at one of many CNG pumps in Pune.

Speaking concerning the total challenge, Ali Daruwala, nationwide spokesperson of the All India Petrol Sellers Affiliation, mentioned, “Definitely, the capability of current CNG pumps in Pune metropolis is insufficient to produce the necessity for every day CNG gasoline of a lot of automobiles. There's a want for at the least 200 CNG pumps in Pune metropolis, whereas Hindustan Petroleum has already submitted an inventory of 20 petrol pumps that will begin CNG service to MNGL. In the event that they get the permission, hopefully, Pune metropolis will get 20 extra CNG pumps.”