Agartala, July 10 (IANS): To turn Tripura's capital into a green city, efforts are on to run vehicles by compressed natural gas (CNG) and supply piped natural gas (PNG) to households.

According to an official, the Tripura Natural Gas Co Ltd (TNGCL) has taken ambitious steps in this direction.

"Currently, several thousand vehicles, including autorickshaws, run on CNG. We encourage all vehicles to use CNG as this is environment friendly and cheaper than petrol and diesel," TNGCL official Sankar Saha told IANS.

TNGCL, a joint venture company of Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) and the Assam and Tripura governments, was set up in June 1990 to supply CNG and PNG to make the environment clean and cut fuel costs.

"PNG has been supplied to around 20,000 households, besides many hospitals, schools and colleges and crematoria. PNG was also being provided to around 300 commercial establishments and 50 industrial units in and around Agartala," Saha said.

He said TNGCL had set a target of supplying PNG to 10,000 new households by March 2016.

This, he said, would make Agartala "India's first green capital city".

Inaugurating the state's fifth CNG station at Khayerpur on the outskirts of Agartala, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Friday asked the TNGCL to provide PNG to all households and CNG to all vehicles in the city.

To develop necessary infrastructure for CNG and PNG, the TNGCL is set to execute a Rs.60 crore business plan in five years, said another official.

TNGCL transports, sells and distributes natural gas as PNG and CNG through an underground pipeline network in Agartala and its outskirts.

The government-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), which found huge natural gas in different parts of Tripura, has been providing gas to the TNGCL.

The official said both CNG and PNG were eco-friendly, economical and safe alternative fuel.