PM inaugurates gas pipeline in Biratnagar

Aug 21, 2018-As claimed during his earlier tenure that he would bring an end to the phase of LPG cylinders by setting up gas pipelines for domestic use, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has formally inaugurated gas pipeline installed in the houses at Jatuwa in Biratnagar on Tuesday.

At least 32 families have been cooking food from the gas brought through a pipeline from Gaushala.

The pipeline, however, was not installed by the government. This pipeline was installed by the Shree Krishna Gau Sewa Sadan at Jatuwa in Biratnagar-14 in a bid to replace costly LPG cylinders.

The gas has been distributed to the houses from a biogas plant being operated from the cow dung domesticated at the Shree Krishna Gau Sewa Sadan.

The plant in its first phase has dispensed biogas to 32 houses by installing 400 metre pipes. The consumers have to pay Rs 84 per kilo for using the gas.

The Sadan Committee with the support from World Bank had awarded the project of constructing the biogas plant to the Nepal Energy Development Company with an objective to generate electricity in the fiscal year 2017/18.

After the load-shedding that the people have been facing for long came to an end in the country, the Committee had decided to produce gas in February, 2018.

The construction of the plant which was started with an investment of Rs 8.4 million in the initial phase had reached Rs 10.25 million after the decision was made to distribute gas to each household through the pipeline.

The Gau Sewa Sadan had collected Rs 20 percent of the initial cost from the people that means Rs 1.6 million and deposited at a bank.

The Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) of the government later added 20 percent (i.eRs 2 million) and provided Rs 4 million in total for the project.District Coordination Committee Environment and Energy Officer Gyanendra Singh said the amount has already been sent to Biratnagar Metropolitan City.

He said the World Bank had provided Rs 8.5 million financial assistant for the construction of the plant.

The plant has been producing 160 kilo gas. This gas can be distributed to 150 households. The GauSewaSadan office bearers said that they have decided to distribute gas to 80 houses in 1 km radius area due to lack of dense settlement.

The gas is collected in a huge synthetic tank and distributed through pipelines. This gas plant will produce 1,000 gas cylinders in a year.

The Gau Sewa Sadan is being operated with the help of locals and traders.

PM Oli, during the shortage of LPG cylinders following the 2015 border blockage imposed by India, had announced that the government would soon distribute gas to the kitchen of each house through pipelines. He had been ridiculed for his ‘fanciful statement’.