The piped natural gas (PNG) network being laid as part of the ongoing city gas project has so far provided 13,480 PNG connections. THINK Gas (formerly known as AG&P Pratham), the company which undertakes the city gas distribution (CGD) project here, said they are planning to strengthen their presence in the capital by providing 6,000 additional connections by September.

As part of the project, areas under active development include Sreekaryam, Edavacode, Ulloor, Akkulam, Anamugham, Kadakampally, Attipra and Kulathoor. There was a delay in providing 2,000 connections in areas like Sreevaraham, Palkulangara, and Perunthanni due to delays in road-cutting permissions of the Defects Liability Period (DLP) roads. Pipeline laying work along the national highway 66 will be completed by May 31 to avoid monsoon disruptions.

Thonnakkal plant

The recently set-up Thonnakkal plant has higher capacity than the Kochuveli facility, which will support gas distribution to Murukkumpuzha and Pallipuram. Already, 500 households in Mangalapuram panchayat (including the Pallipuram CRPF camp) are connected, where the completion of household connections is expected by July.

Also, new CNG stations are being developed at Vizhinjam, Kamaleswaram, and Nalanchira. There are a total of 20 CNG outlets in Thiruvananthapuram district. Varkala CNG station became operational on May 16. The upcoming Vizhinjam station is expected to support port-based truck container movement once cargo operations begin, said company officials.

The company has so far spent a sum of ₹700 crore for laying 584 km of MDPE (Medium Density Polyethylene) pipelines and 48 km of steel pipelines in Thiruvananthapuram district as part of transporting the gas. It has also been employing horizontal directional drilling (HDD) to reduce road damage and traffic disruptions, said the officials.

Published – May 29, 2025 12:00 am IST