Bengaluru: Lack of funds has put the brakes on the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) project by BMTC. Currently, BMTC is waiting for the government of India, Ministry of Urban Development (MOUD) to sanction 400 CNG buses under the JNRUM scheme. 50 per cent of the cost of procurement will be borne by BMTC, 35 per cent by the government of India and 15 per cent by the State Government.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Kumar Pushkar, director (IT) of BMTC says, “Since we are undergoing a bit of a financial crunch within the BMTC, we have written to the MOUD and they are considering our request. We have finished conducting the survey and found out which depots will be feasible for rolling out the project initially.” Pennya and Yelahanka depots have been selected for the purpose. Once the proposal is approved by the MOUD, BMTC will have to procure CNG buses. In fact, BMTC has decided to have CNG bunks in two of its depots to facilitate its buses.
Kumar Pushkar maintains, “There will not be much of a difference in expenditure on fuel, but it will definitely have an impact on the environment. The present BS4 buses too are very eco-friendly, but CNG is even better.” However, as of now no study has been conducted on the impact that CNG can bring to the garden city once it becomes a full-fledged project.”
Meanwhile environmentalists feel the initiative should have been taken long ago. “BMTC is late in introducing CNG buses; they are bringing them at a time when the metro has already sprung up. Already the metro has reached beyond Pennya. Having said this, there is no doubt that CNG buses are a good idea. But this is a result of the High Court coming down heavily on the civic agencies for the rising air and noise pollution in the city. HC has given a strong directive to the effect that the pollution control board has done nothing to curb pollution. So now all these authorities are trying to push for ‘environment friendly’ proposals. BMTC is also impeded by the HC in the same case as that of Pollution board. This is just to tell the HC that we have introduced such an initiative.”
On the other hand environmentalist Yellappa Reddy says, “They should have done some form of preliminary study on the prevailing mode of transport, passenger density, and causes of pollution. I want to know the basis of this initiative.” BMTC has been conducting meetings with the officials of Karnataka Natural Gas Ltd (KNGL) to lay the road map for maximum utilization of CNG in BMTC buses. The managing director of BMTC, Anjum Parvez has earlier confirmed that his focus is on the core areas of the city where the pollution levels are higher.
Almost all the public transport in Mumbai and Delhi, whether auto rickshaws or taxis, run on the cleaner compressed natural gas. However, the ‘garden city’ is yet to follow suit, even though the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said earlier that BMTC buses should run completely on eco-friendly fuel and the former Union minister for petroleum and natural gas M Veerappa Moily had promised Bangaloreans that the first Compressed Natural Gas filling station in the city would be operational by September 2013. But nothing has materialised till today.
The Bhure Lal committee report suggested 14 points and among them was making all public transport run on gas. Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Chairperson, Vaman Acharya feels, “We have many reports from Delhi where it has been proved that the pollution level in the capital has come down drastically after the intervention of CNG gas vehicles. Since it is a gaseous fuel, naturally the particles will be almost negligible.”
