Staff Reporter
A 10-kg composite liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) LPG cylinder was launched for the first time in Nagaland at Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Ltd’s LPG bottling plant at 7th mile, Chümoukedima, on Tuesday. The composite cylinder is ultra-modern, light weight, rust-free, has aesthetic looks and translucent body that shows LPG level and is the latest from Indane product line. The cylinder is also 50% lighter than the exiting steel cylinders.
Speaking to Nagaland Post about the composite cylinder, LPG bottling plant’s senior plant manager Kumrah Solei said this was the first launch of the cylinder in Nagaland and would be first marketed at Kohima in the first phase and later would be available at Dimapur and other districts. The composite cylinder would also be available in 5 kg, but was still in transit, he added.
He said the gross weight of the 10-kg composite cylinder was 16.3 kg, while the existing domestic cylinder with 14.2 kg LPG had a gross weight of 30 kg on an average.
At present, he mentioned that the bottling plant had 100 composite cylinders, and as soon as they reached the market and with increased demand, more would be made available. He added that sales team would look after the supply of these cylinders.
Asked about the difference between the existing domestic cylinder and the newly-launched cylinder, Solei pointed out that the new cylinders would be lighter than the metallic cylinders that had a net 14.2 kg gas.
He claimed that the cylinders made from fibre glass would ensure fire safety as these would not explode even when engulfed by fire due to fibreglass technology.
He explained that the composite cylinder was a three-layered cylinder made up of a blow-moulded HDPE inner liner, covered with composite layer of polymer-wrapped fibre glass and fitted with a HDPE outer jacket.
When asked about its availability, the senior plant manager said the composite cylinder would be delivered to homes just like the existing gas cylinders through Indane distributors. He mentioned that customers could replace their existing steel cylinders with the state-of-the-art composite cylinders by paying the difference in security deposit.
Emergency response drill held: Earlier, as part of emergency preparedness for any disaster, an emergency response drill (ERD) was held at the LPG bottling plant.
The drill was carried out in the presence of food & civil supplies deputy director I Anungba Sanglir, assistant labour commissioner Vikheto Naki, IOCL Dimapur depot deputy general manager (Ops) Huwuto Sema and Chümoukedima fire station sub-inspector Kenyuyhun Kent..
After its inspection, the officials expressed satisfaction at the drill conducted by the response team. They encouraged the team not to compromise with safety, stressing that it should be an integral part of work culture. They asked the team to show preparedness in case of any eventuality or incident and be ready with all the mechanism.
The drill is carried out on half-yearly basis and is a mandatory requirement for Emergency Response and Disaster Management Plant (ERDMP) in addition to monthly mock fire drill. The exercise is carried to assess the emergency preparedness of the location and coordination with the district authorities.
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