CNG shortage plagues Udupi district, Motorists face hours of waiting

Team Udayavani, Apr 29, 2024, 11:43 AM IST

Vehicles waiting for refueling at a CNG bunk in Udupi

Kundapur/Udupi: In recent times, there has been a surge in the number of vehicles running on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in Udupi district. However, despite demand, there is a critical shortage of CNG filling stations, leaving motorists stranded for hours in long queues.

Insufficient Supply, Growing Demand:

Despite the rising popularity of CNG-fueled vehicles, the number of CNG bunks fails to keep pace with demand. Existing CNG refueling stations struggle to meet the needs of motorists, especially rickshaw drivers, who often endure lengthy wait times.

Currently, there are 3 CNG filling stations in operation in Udupi district – One each at Koteshwar, Udupi city, and Brahmavara. One more is under construction at Karkala.

No guarantee of refueling:

The primary issue lies in the inadequate fuel supply to CNG bunks, failing to meet the burgeoning demand. There is just one CNG bunk in Kundapura Taluk out of three in Udupi.

With over 5,000 CNG-based vehicles in the district, the Koteshwar CNG bank frequently witnesses long queues of rickshaws and other vehicles waiting for refueling as early as 4 am. Waiting periods can stretch from anywhere between 4 to 9 hours. Even then, there is no guarantee that everyone will be receiving the fuel.

About 2-3 loads of CNG are supplied via tankers to the bunks every day, but this fuel quickly runs out.

Plight of autorickshaw drivers

A majority of the CNG vehicles are autorickshaws. rickshaw drivers wait for gas loads at the bunks, leading to common long queues. Drivers, whose livelihoods depend on rickshaws, spend considerable time at the bunks, inevitably waiting longer than renting out the vehicle. “This has impacted our livelihoods,” autorickshaw drivers say.

Given the increasing number of CNG vehicles, there is an urgent need for district authorities and stakeholders to promptly address the shortage by building additional CNG refueling stations and ensuring adequate supply.

Challenges in Dakshina Kannada:

Similar challenges persist in Dakshina Kannada, where CNG stations face supply inconsistencies, exacerbating the issue in high-demand areas. GAIL Gas Company, responsible for CNG distribution, grapples with meeting the region’s growing needs.