The government has planned to promote the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in a big way to reduce pollution level being caused by vehicles using motor gasoline and trying to improve the ambient air quality. Presently, some 700 CNG stations are operational in the country, while 200 are under construction, official sources said.
By March 2005, about 700,000 vehicles were converted to CNG as compare to 450,000 vehicles during the same period last year, showing an increase of 56 percent.
With these developments, Pakistan has become the leading country in Asia and the third largest user of CNG in the world after Argentina and Brazil, the sources added.
Investment of Rs 17 billion has already been made in CNG sector and Rs 2 billion investment is expected in near future. Moreover, the CNG industry has created 15,000 new jobs.
In view of short supply of indigenous liquid fuels, a great scope exists in the country for development of alternate fuels, especially natural gas that is locally available at low-price, while at the same time a widespread infrastructure for transmission and distribution of gas is already in place.
There is a strong need for replacing diesel oil to the extent and it is possible with CNG for reducing the level of air pollution.