More than 60 per cent of autos in the Andheri-Borivli belt are plying in one shift
The gas supply to several Compress Natural Gas dispensing pumps on the eastern side of the Malad-Mira Road belt remained affected all through Sunday, more than a day after Mahanagar Gas Limited authorities repaired the puncture in the pipeline. The pipeline was damaged on Wednesday afternoon after a pile-driving machine, used to construct a pillar for the Dahisar (East)-Andheri (East) Metro line, accidentally drilled a hole into the pipeline running six metres beneath the surface of the Western Express Highway.
According to sources, while testing the repaired pipeline, MGL authorities found that cracks in a section of the pipeline about four metres near the spot where the pipeline had been punctured. A test was being carried out as a mandatory procedure to ensure the pipeline was carrying gas without any spills.
The disruption, which has gone on for five days now, has agitated auto-rickshaw unions. "More than 60 per cent of autos in the Andheri-Borivli belt are plying in one shift. The process of filling CNG is taking anywhere between two and five hours due to the shut down of fuel pumps in the eastern sides of Malad and Kandivli. The losses run into several lakhs of rupees for drivers because this is one of the busiest routes," said Thampi Kurien, General Secretary of the Mumbai Auto Rickshawmen's Union.
The shortage in gas supply on Sunday could mean fewer autos may ply in these areas on Monday morning, said Kurien. He added that a delegation of drivers will meet MGL authorities to come up with a solution. "It shows that the CNG infrastructure is not adequate to cater to emergencies. When more cars being run by aggregator firms also come into the CNG fold, such disruptions will be more problematic," Kurien said.
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