Though three decades have passed since natural gas was found below the grounds in Kathmandu , nothing has been done yet to bring it to the kitchen of the people. Negligence of the government and technical complications have made gas extraction a far cry. Officials at the Department of Mines and Geology say there is no possibility to extract natural gas for utilisation anytime soon.

 

The department has failed to even to evaluate the proposals of two companies that sought permission to extract gas. The proposals are lying with the department for the last two years. Continental Trading Enterprises and Rajavardhan Construction, a company under KL Dugar Group had submitted those proposals.

 

Sarbajit Prasad Mahato, the Director General of the department accepts the weaknesses of the department but blames it to various complications. He said that more studies are needed to go ahead on this.

 

Studies have revealed that the area of 26 square kilometres from Teku to where the office of the Nepal Herbs Corporation is located contains natural gas. Studies by the department carried out at different times during the last 17 years show the possibility of a natural gas reserve of 310 million cubic metres. This amount can meet the need of 20,000 households for 30 years. The study conducted in 1996 says that extraction work would cost Rs 437.7 million. The extracted gas cannot be liquefied and filled into the cylinder directly. Therefore, it should be supplied directly to the households through pipelines. This is said to have become costly now because of the concrete constructions stretching the length and breadth of Kathmandu valley. However, such gas can be used to generate electricity thorugh thermal power station. The department has identified 14 places from where the gas can be mined.

 

The department has put forward an option to conduct fresh studies as the environment has changed much since the time of the previous studies.