GUWAHATI, Feb 28 - The Oil India Limited today denied short supply of gas to tea gardens and said it is working with the Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL) to install special valves in the pipes to regulate the supply and prevent excess use by some gardens.
Tea gardens have been complaining of severe shortage of piped natural gas, which runs its tea making factories.
�The aggregate supply quantity has not changed. We are supplying the committed quantity. What is happening is that those gardens located near the supply points are drawing excess amounts. As a result, the gardens located far are not getting adequate amounts as the pressure of the gas reduces with distance of the pipes,� OIL CMD Utpal Bora told The Assam Tribune, adding that the Chief Minister has been apprised about the status.
OIL sources also said some gardens are using the piped gas to fuel other functions like running generators, as it is cheaper. Piped gas provided by OIL is marketed by the Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL).
Bora said meetings have been held with AGCL to address the issue and a plan has been chalked out to install special valves in the pipes to ensure the gardens do not draw excess gas. �The valves will automatically close if a garden withdraws in excess of a particular limit,� he said.
On the shortage in the supply of gas faced by the Lepetkata-based Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Ltd (BCPL), the OIL CMD said the industry requires �rich gas� (high quality) whose production has gone down.
