The Union government has to allocate more gas to Delhi to implement the court order. In January 2002, the Union government has roughly doubled its earlier allocation to Delhi's vehicular fleet. But even this increased allocation -- by diverting gas from a single user, Maruti Udyog Limited - will be inadequate for implementing the Supreme Court order.

To meet the needs of current and projected vehicles in the city - the city requires a mere 4.8 per cent of the current supply of gas by the HBJ pipeline. The production of gas in the South Bassein gas fields has also increased over the last 2-3 years. But the increased production has been allocated to industry, instead of meeting the needs of vehicles arising out of the Supreme Court order.

According to available information:
·    Reliance Industries got an addition 0.7 mmscmd;
·    Essar got an additional 0.4 mmscmd;
·    Gujarat State Fertilizer Corporation got an additional 0.4 mmscmd;
·    GIPCL (power generating company in Baroda) got 0.5 mmscmd (this gas is being reported supplied without any allocation by the government and as a "matter of favour");
·    IPCL-Dahej got an additional 0.85 mmscmd.

Increased allocation for Delhi
In January 2002, the Ministry of Oil and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has increased allocation to Delhi from 3.87 lakh kg/day to 7.9 lakh kg per day (0.48 mmscmd to 0.98 mmscmd).

The total gas allocated to the transport sector is now 6.4 lakh kg/day (0.8 mmscmd). The rest is for city gas distribution and internal consumption.

The total gas needed for vehicles (all buses, autos, cars, taxis) in Delhi is 16.1 lakh kg per day (2 mmscmd), which is a mere 4.8 per cent of the current production from South Bassein fields which is supplied through the HBJ pipeline.

The increased allocation of gas to Delhi has come because the government decided on January 1, 2002 to withdraw the total supply of gas to one user, Maruti Udyog Limited. Its supply was terminated on January 23, 2002. The abrupt disconnection of gas to Maruti could be viewed as action against a member of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) as it was equally feasible for the government to reduce the allocation of gas to all users to make provisions for Delhi.

In fact, if only 3.7 per cent of gas was cut on a pro-rata basis from the current consumers and diverted to Delhi, it would be sufficient to meet the needs of all current and projected vehicles running on CNG.

There has been a practice of pro-rata cuts on all consumers to make space for new allocation. So, for instance, when the Supreme Court had directed that gas should be supplied to consumers in Agra and Mathura to reduce pollution in the Taj trapezium, this increased allocation was made by cutting the gas of all consumers on a pro-rata basis. This leads to minimal disruption of all users and does not penalise any one industry group.