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PCMC eyes ‘LPG-free city’ tag, pushes housing societies to adopt piped natural gas
The proposal was discussed at a meeting convened by the civic body on Wednesday with representatives of housing societies, the cooperation department and Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL).
PUNE:
In an ambitious push for clean energy, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has set its sights on transforming Pimpri-Chinchwad into the country’s first ‘LPG-free city’ by encouraging households to transition from LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders to piped natural gas (PNG); officials said on Thursday. The move comes as the civic body tries to: reduce dependence on traditional LPG cylinders and promote continuous, pipeline-based gas supply as a modern urban utility.
The proposal was discussed at a meeting convened by the civic body on Wednesday with representatives of housing societies, the cooperation department and Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL), as the administration sought to build consensus around the wider adoption of domestic piped gas connections.
Chairing the meeting, Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi said that the city must move towards cleaner, safer and more sustainable fuel systems in line with national goals on energy conservation and environmentally-responsible urban development. “Many Indian cities have successfully adopted domestic piped gas systems, and citizens have responded positively. Pimpri-Chinchwad should work towards becoming the first LPG-free city in the country. This will require joint effort by housing societies, MNGL and citizens,” Suryawanshi said.
While piped natural gas eliminates the need for cylinder storage, ensures uninterrupted supply, reduces handling-related risks, and offers environmental advantages over conventional fuel systems; the civic administration acknowledged that despite the infrastructure being available in several residential complexes, actual adoption remains low in many societies due to lack of awareness, hesitation among residents, and unresolved technical concerns.
To address this, the municipal commissioner directed officials to launch a structured public outreach campaign, including social media awareness drives, distribution of information material, training sessions, direct visits to housing societies, and door-to-door engagement with residents. Special focus will be placed on housing societies where MNGL connections have already been installed but are not being actively used.
Suryawanshi also suggested that the MNGL appoint dedicated coordination officers to address the residents’ concerns regarding safety, technical issues, billing and connection procedures, allowing faster resolution and improving consumer confidence. Housing society office-bearers, including chairpersons and secretaries, have been asked to take the lead in encouraging residents to shift to the system.
During the meeting, senior MNGL officials gave a detailed presentation on the functioning of the domestic piped gas network, services available through the company’s app, safety protocols, customer facilities and the financial aspects of adoption. Additional commissioner Vikrant Bagade, chief engineer Pramod Ombhase, deputy commissioner Anna Bodade, officials from the cooperative department, and MNGL managing director Shankar Kumar were among those present.
