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MNGL urges 4 lakh Pune households to shift to PNG by Oct 1
Officials said government notifications have also indicated that households in societies where PNG infrastructure has been laid would be required to take connections
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Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) has urged nearly four lakh households in Pune whose housing societies already have PNG infrastructure to register for connections and switch from LPG to piped natural gas (PNG) by October 1, citing convenience, safety and continued pressure on LPG supplies.
Shankar Karajagi, director (commercial), MNGL, said, “It is not about forcing anyone, but an appeal to obtain PNG connections before October 1,” he said.
Officials said government notifications have also indicated that households in societies where PNG infrastructure has been laid would be required to take connections.
The appeal comes amid disruptions to global energy supplies that affected LPG availability in India. MNGL said the crisis prompted it to accelerate PNG connections, with daily domestic connections rising from about 150 before the crisis to 400-450 currently.
MNGL has laid pipelines reaching around nine lakh households in Pune, of which about five lakh are already using PNG. Across its wider geographical area, the network reaches around 12 lakh households, while about 6,500 housing societies have been gasified.
Girija Shankar, managing director, MNGL, said the company had significantly increased the pace of PNG connections and was working to make the process easier for consumers. The company is currently providing around 400 to 450 domestic PNG connections every day in Pune, while registrations are also coming in at almost the same pace, officials said.
The company has expanded its workforce by partnering with 78 ITIs across Maharashtra to train for gas pipeline work.
MNGL is simultaneously expanding connections among commercial and industrial consumers. Commercial PNG connections have risen from about 50 a year before the crisis to at least two a day, while industrial customers in areas such as Chakan and Talegaon are also being connected.
The company said shifting households that already have access to PNG could free up LPG cylinders for areas where piped gas infrastructure is not yet available, particularly rural regions.
“Our immediate focus is on increasing registrations and completing connections in societies where the pipeline network is already available,” Karajagi said.
