Push to fast-track piped gas lines rollout in Gurugram amid LPG supply crisis

Authorities streamline approvals, cut charges to speed city gas distribution rollout. About 60,000 homes use PNG; delays linked to RoW issues, costs, coordination gaps.

Amid an ongoing LPG supply crisis, gas agencies and civic authorities have initiated a coordinated effort to fast-track the rollout of piped natural gas (PNG) connections in Gurugram, officials said.

HCG, IGL coordinate with civic bodies to ease approvals. Around 25,000 new connections planned if bottlenecks like RoW and costs are resolved. (HT Archive)

Following directions issued by the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on March 16, officials from Haryana City Gas (HCG) and Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) have intensified consultations with the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to speed up approvals and address bottlenecks under the city gas distribution (CGD) programme.

The focus is on streamlining right-of-way (RoW) permissions, rationalising road restoration charges, and introducing a time-bound clearance mechanism.

“Discussions are in process to connect six more residential societies to PNG by April-end,” said a senior HCG official, requesting anonymity.

Officials said the absence of pre-planned utility corridors remains a key constraint, leading to repeated road excavation and multiple permissions. “We are working towards creating utility corridors and a coordinated approval system to avoid repetitive permissions,” said a senior MCG official.

The PNG rollout involves multiple stages, including trunk pipeline installation, RoW approvals, internal society networks, resident consent, and commissioning. In several sectors, internal infrastructure has been completed, but final connectivity approvals are pending, officials said.

According to industry estimates and officials associated with the CGD programme, nearly 35–40% of households in Gurugram use PNG, while the rest depend on LPG cylinders, induction cooktops, or other methods. Data from HCG shows around 60,000 households currently have PNG connections, with demand rising amid the shortage.

In New Gurugram, nearly 11,000 residents have registered for PNG connections over the past two years, but only about 5,000 have been activated till March.

Residents in Palam Vihar and sectors 92, 102, and 110 said they have been waiting for over a year despite pipelines being laid. “The absence of a single-window clearance system and prolonged inter-departmental approvals are delaying PNG rollout,” said Sunil Sareen, deputy convenor of the Dwarka Expressway Gurugram Development Association.

Santosh Singh, a resident of Sector 102, said, “Timely approvals could have prevented the current LPG crisis. Even after giving consent for installations, connections are still pending.”

Civic officials acknowledged delays, citing GIS alignment conflicts, stormwater drain overlaps, and high pipeline installation costs. “In some cases, external connectivity approvals were rejected due to alignment and technical observations,” said a senior GMDA official.

Officials said pipeline laying costs have increased from ₹5.5 lakh to ₹8 lakh per kilometre due to high lease and restoration charges and repeated permissions. Authorities are considering reducing connection charges to ₹1,000 and capping restoration fees. If bottlenecks are resolved, around 25,000 new PNG connections could be added this year, officials from gas distribution companies said.

“We have directed all departments to expedite approvals and improve coordination so that residents are not solely dependent on LPG,” said a district official.