Comparative analysis of piped natural gas with liquified petroleum gas with regards to safety and environment

In the current global scenario, safety of life and protection of the environment is equally, if not more important, than preservation of energy resources. Just as it is critical to ensure that natural resources are put into best use before it goes back to the environment, it is of paramount importance to ensure optimum utilization of these natural resources in a safe way so as to enrich and protect human life, property and environment. It is a pity that so much of efforts, hard work, money and time are invested in getting these natural resources to the surface and later, it is not utilized effectively because of lack of awareness among people. On these very lines, the Government of India had launched the Smart City project and all the major metropolitan cities were selected for this project, one of the essential criteria being the implementation of piped natural gas supply in these cities. The idea was to do away with LPG cylinders, thereby reducing casualties from related accidents, prevent pollution and reduce traffic congestion caused by cylinder-laden trucks moving around the cities. About a year ago, the Central Government of India had sanctioned a huge amount for the project of piped natural gas for the major cities, formed the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Body with their plans and regulations in place, but the completion of this project has been at a snail’s pace in most cities. The problem discussed in this research paper is about the lack of public awareness regarding safety aspects and benefits of using piped natural gas as compared to the use of LPG cylinders, thereby resulting in the failure or delay in the implementation of the PNG system in most cities.