Tripura Sunday announced plans to make all public and private vehicles in Agartala run on compressed natural gas (CNG) by 2013, thus making the capital 'India's first green city'.

Tripura Natural Gas Co Ltd (TNGCL), a joint venture of the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) and the Tripura and Assam governments, has undertaken a project to supply CNG to all private and government vehicles.

CNG will also be available to those now using electricity, petrol and diesel to run various machineries.

'The TNGCL has been supplying piped natural gas (PNG) to more than 7,416 domestic consumers and 155 commercial establishments and industrial units in Agartala and its outskirts besides hospitals and crematorium,' TNGCL chairman Pabitra Kar told reporters.

He said: 'The company will soon provide PNG connections to 10,000 new domestic consumers in the city and outskirts. Agartala will be the first city in India within the next three years to become a green city.'

According to Kar, the transport department would introduce 70 CNG based passenger buses by this month-end to augment the transportation systems.

Over 60 percent autorickshaws, a large number of small cars and buses are now using CNG in Agartala, the fourth city in India after New Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow running CNG vehicles on a large scale.

The TNGCL chairman said that the supply of CNG and PNG were being gradually expanded across the northeastern state to make the state a green and environment friendly state.

The TNGCL has recently finalised a 25 year plan for the purpose.

'The Supreme Court had forced the authority to make the capital a pollution free city by introducing CNG run vehicles, but in Tripura we are on our own initiative doing this eminent task,' Kar said.