Three more CNG stations in port city, still not enough

Autorickshaws wait in a long queue at the CNG refuelling station at Dampara in the port city although three more stations have been set up in the last one month.. PHOTO: STAR

However, the number was still very poor to cater the need.

As the lone refuelling station of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) at Dampara was overburdened with the huge demand of some 5,000 CNG-run vehicles, one such station Sea-gold at Baroaulia started operation last month.

CNG Station Kolka started operation early this month at port connecting road at Halishahar while Karnaphuli Natural Gas Ltd in front of General Post Office on Monday on an experimental basis.

Besides, 14 more stations to be set up on Railway land and over a dozen reportedly on Roads & Highways land, were either under construction or under process.

Development or installation process of eight CNG stations is claimed to have been going on the Railway land.

Stipulated nine-month time for setting up of two, one at Holy Criscent Hospital adjoining area and another at Sholoshahar Gate No.2 area, has already expired.

The Railway authorities handed over the leased out land on March 30 and May 8 to persons concerned last year.

Six others, two each at Pahartoli and Tigerpass, one each at Kadamtoli and Janalihut, were claimed to be under implementation. Four of them had the land recently while the land leased out to one Messers Afser and Ilias at Tigerpass (adjoining to Dewanhat over-bridge) raised a dispute with GRP (railway police), Railway sources said.

Of the rest six, signing of agreements of five with railway, reportedly is under process while one intended leasee, UCBL Chairman Zafar Ahmad Chowdhury, applied for withdrawal of the money deposited for the land he got lease at Kalurghat, sources in Railway said.

Meanwhile, leasing out of Railway lands at Tigerpass and Polo Ground area sparked a huge criticism.

Six pieces of lands for installation of CNG stations were within less than two kilometers stretch from Kadamtoli to Tigerpass.

Two of them were located beside a busy road at Polo Ground. They were just beside the entry point of Railway Officers' Club adjoining to a posh residential area and within several hundred yards off another CNG station under-installation at Kadamtoli crossing.

Local people and other concerned circles said any refuelling station at this point would not only hinder traffic movement but also create environmental hazards for the residents.

Another CNG station beside the CDA Avenue between Lalkhan Bazar Ispahani and Tigerpass intersections was feared to hamper the picturesque roadside hill as well as traffic movement.

Mosharraf Hossain, Director of Department of Environment (DoE), Chittagong said, "We would make objection to setting up of any such installation at those areas though have relaxed certificate issuing process for CNG stations."

"We noticed of initiatives of such stations at those areas, but nobody applied to us for certificate." DoE inspectors had visited the areas but could not contact the owners as they had no address other than signboards there," Mosharraf said.

Chief Estate Officer of Bangladesh Railway said leasing out land for CNG stations is directly done by Railway Administration of the Ministry of Communications in Dhaka and refrained from making any comment.

When asked to give opinion on the slow progress of installation of CNG

stations, Chittagong City Awami League Environment Secretary Khorshed Alam Sujan said, "Such installation needs a huge investment where the investor is not sure of the expected return. It discourages the real businessmen."

Sujan said government lands were being leased for CNG stations, but real businessmen could hardly avail of those. "Mostly non-businessmen having ruling party connection are getting the leased out lands, which were mostly going under alternate use," he said.

"Signboards reading 'site for CNG Station' have been put up at 12 points of Roads and Highways land along Dhaka-Chittagong highway from Olonker intersection to Mirersarai but there is no development work so far," he said.

"The preferences and facilities should be offered to right persons, who really want to and able to set up such installations," Sujan added.