Thousands of households in Lucknow’s high-rise residential complexes may soon have to switch from LPG cylinders to piped natural gas (PNG), with the Centre moving towards making PNG adoption mandatory in areas where pipeline infrastructure is already available.
Under the proposed mechanism, residents in identified PNG-covered areas will be served a three-month notice to obtain PNG connections, after which LPG cylinder supplies will be discontinued.
Green Gas Limited (GGL) has identified around 40,000 potential household connections in more than 200 high-rise residential complexes in Lucknow and aims to complete their conversion by March 2027.
The proposed move signals a significant change in the government’s approach to expanding PNG usage in major cities. Instead of relying solely on voluntary adoption, the Centre intends to push households towards PNG wherever the distribution network is available, with the larger objective of reducing dependence on LPG and maximising the utilisation of existing gas infrastructure.
RK Behra, director (commercial), Green Gas Limited, said that PNG installations in multi-storey buildings involve extensive coordinated work, including laying pipelines in common areas, installing vertical risers, connecting individual flats, fitting meters and regulators, and conducting pressure and leakage tests before commissioning.
“These operations require trained technicians to ensure compliance with safety standards. Of the more than 200 high-rise complexes identified, only 15 have so far been converted, indicating the scale of the task ahead. With approximately 40,000 potential connections to be delivered by March 2027, the company will need to substantially increase its execution capacity over the coming months,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“These operations require trained technicians to ensure compliance with safety standards. Of the more than 200 high-rise complexes identified, only 15 have so far been converted, indicating the scale of the task ahead. With approximately 40,000 potential connections to be delivered by March 2027, the company will need to substantially increase its execution capacity over the coming months,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}High-rise complexes offer an opportunity to expand PNG coverage rapidly because hundreds of households can be connected through a single coordinated project.
A key concern will be ensuring that the availability of a PNG pipeline in a locality is not treated as equivalent to an operational connection in every household. Residents should have access to a commissioned and usable PNG connection before their LPG supplies are discontinued. Delays caused by contractors, pending installations or incomplete internal networks could otherwise leave households facing avoidable inconvenience.
The Centre’s latest push could accelerate this transition, but Lucknow’s experience highlights the gap between policy targets and ground-level execution.
Executive director and state head IOC Sanjay Bhandari said that every directive of the Centre will be followed and it’s up to Green Gas to complete the work at the earliest and then serve notices to the residents.
Govt directive
The government of India issued the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Amendment Order, 2026 in two main stages to manage households holding both domestic LPG and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections.
One part of the order was issued on March 14, 2026, while the other part was issued on May 25, 2026.
Under the May 25 order, consumers obtaining PNG were given two options: terminate the LPG connection within 30 days or obtain a transfer voucher for restoration of the LPG connection in a non-PNG area.
In Lucknow, Green Gas is giving 90 days to shift to the consumers.
CS asks depts to expedite clearances for PNG expansion
Chief secretary SP Goyal on Friday directed all departments concerned to expedite pending permissions and no-objection certificates (NOCs) for the expansion of the city gas distribution (CGD) network and ensure a significant increase in piped natural gas (PNG) connections across the state. He was chairing a meeting of the state-level committee constituted for this purpose on Friday.
He directed departments to accord top priority to pending applications from CGD companies so that delays in granting permissions do not hamper the expansion of gas pipeline infrastructure.
Goyal directed that priority be given to hospitals, police lines, paramilitary establishments, educational institutions, government guest houses, district magistrate complexes and government residential colonies.