New Delhi, March 22 -- The standing committee on petroleum and natural gas has recommended that the Union government set up underground rock caverns for storing liquified petroleum gas (LPG) amid growing demand for LPG.

Currently, oil marketing companies (OMCs) use a 60,000-tonne capacity LPG cavern in Visakhapatnam for storing propane and butane. State-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd is constructing another LPG cavern with a capacity of 80,000 tonnes that is expected to become operational this year.

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"The committee notes that the storage of LPG in caverns offer a secure and eco-friendly way to store large quantities of gas. Underground caverns are less susceptible to...