At a time when the National Democratic Alliance government is pulling out all stops to move towards a gas-based economy, it is concerned about the slow pace of private petrol and diesel vehicles switching to compressed natural gas (CNG), according to two officials from the ministry of petroleum and natural gas who did not want to be identified.
Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan has set a target of gas contributing 15% to India’s clean energy mix. Gas currently contributes 6.5% in India’s energy basket.
The Narendra Modi-led government’s inclination towards cleaner sources of fuel comes in the backdrop of its pledge to reduce its carbon footprint. India on 2 October became the 62nd country to ratify the Paris climate deal which came into effect on 4 November.
“The rate at which cars are adopting gas as fuel is a little worrisome as we wanted a faster conversion rate and more sizeable quantity. A lot of cars have shifted but there are still a lot more to go. We are also looking to increase CNG outlets in the country that will facilitate vehicles to have easier access to the cleaner fuel,” said one of the officials.
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