Dump oil guzzlers, tap CNG for highway drive: Deora

A day after environment minister Jairam Ramesh exhorted Indians to say good bye to oil guzzlers, petroleum minister Murli Deora today flagged off a `CNG Eco-Drive' car rally in Mumbai, which, he said, would revolutionise inter-city travel in the days to come.

Deora flagged off over 40 cars, which uses compressed natural gas as fuel, from the Bandra-Kurla Complex exhibition grounds to Chakali in Chinchwad, Pune.

These cars can refill at the CNG station in Panvel if they need to.

Speaking at the flagging off function, Deora said the government is firmly committed to making natural gas available across the country.

He said a network of pipelines for transportation of natural gas being laid across the length and breadth of the country, will ensure that natural gas reaches areas which have not been able to reap the benefit of this clean and cheap fuel.

Deora hoped the `CNG Eco Drive 2010' would further popularise the use of CNG as a transport fuel in Mumbai and also help to promote its usage along the highways, specially on the Mumbai-Pune route.

CNG system has been implemented in 42 cities in the country with 23 entities supplying CNG to approximately 1.1 million vehicles, including about 23,000 buses and around. 1.08 million cars and other small vehicles, the minister said.

The `CNG Eco Drive', being supported by Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL), Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL), Mahanagar Gas Ltd (MGL), is a precursor to the NGV (Natural Gas for Vehicles) 2010 conference and exhibition to be held in Mumbai from 24 to 26 November 2010.

NGV India 2010 in Mumbai will focus on natural gas and display the latest technologies to promote use of natural gas.