Gas supply hit after pipeline damage; taxis and autos go off roads

The disruption had halted supply to CNG stations across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai, including pumps catering to public transport undertakings

Mumbai: Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) supply was disrupted across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region after a gas pipeline was damaged on Sunday afternoon, affecting the supply to Mahanagar Gas Limited’s (MGL) City Gate Station at Wadala. The outage forced several taxis and auto rickshaws off the roads as they ran out of fuel.

Gas supply hit after pipeline damage; taxis and autos go off roads

“Due to damage to the main gas pipeline inside RCF compound, the gas supply to MGL’s City Gate Station (CGS) at Wadala has been affected,” a statement issued by Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) on Sunday afternoon read, adding that the disruption had halted supply to CNG stations across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai, including pumps catering to public transport undertakings.

“MGL is ensuring that supply to its domestic PNG (Piped Natural Gas) consumers is maintained on priority without interruption,” it added.

With CNG pumps shutting down, long queues formed at the few stations where supply trickled in. Many auto and taxi drivers parked their vehicles in line despite no certainty of refuelling, hoping to avoid longer waits once supply resumed.

“As it is, I end my day by 5.30 pm and start again before dawn. I don’t want to wait in a long queue later. I will check for gas availability in the morning,” said Sufiyan Khan, an auto rickshaw owner-driver.

The shortage also triggered surge pricing on aggregator platforms like Ola and Uber. A Mira Road–BKC trip, which typically costs ₹400– ₹450, shot up to ₹550 and later crossed ₹600 on Sunday.

The exact number of black-and-yellow taxis, auto rickshaws and private cabs forced off the roads remained unclear.

MGL’s spokesperson said, “Gas supplies across MGL’s network will normalise once the damage is rectified and supply is restored to CGS Wadala.” Following this, the corporation gradually started the supply in the evening.