Kamal Ghorui
Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) is pushing expansion of PNG connections across Delhi-NCR as it looks to rapidly grow its user base and reduce dependence on LPG, its chief executive Kamal Kishore Chatiwal said.The expansion comes amid disruptions to energy supplies triggered by the Middle East conflict, which has strengthened the government’s push towards wider adoption of PNG as an alternative to LPG, given its more diversified sourcing and lower reliance on Gulf imports.
“We were providing 600-700 PNG connections per day, which have scaled up to 2,100-2,200 a day now. The ultimate target is to take them to 5,000 connections,” IGL Managing Director Chatiwal said.As part of the rollout, IGL is extending piped gas lines to households while also targeting commercial establishments, especially fast-food chains that were impacted by LPG supply disruptions when domestic consumers were prioritised for limited cooking gas supplies.The company said it has already connected over 100 outlets of two major fast-food chains with PNG, with a similar number currently under execution. In total, around 400 outlets have been identified for connection.IGL is also working to extend PNG supply to all police stations in Delhi. Police canteens and cafeterias, which currently rely on LPG or mixed usage, are expected to fully shift to piped gas to avoid the challenges of cylinder refills.In another development, Connaught Place, the central commercial hub of New Delhi, which earlier remained outside the PNG network due to permission-related hurdles, is now being brought under the system after relaxation of norms. Officials said the pipeline has already reached the outer circle.Chatiwal said India has sufficient natural gas availability, which is supplied to households, industries, hotels and restaurants through city gas networks. India produces around 92 million standard cubic metres per day of natural gas, while consumption through city gas, including PNG and CNG, accounts for less than one-third of that output.LPG, however, continues to depend heavily on imports, with a major share sourced from Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar.“We are targeting 4.85 lakh new PNG connections in the next 90 days across the geographical areas (GAs) we operate in,” he said.IGL’s city gas infrastructure now spans Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Rewari, Karnal, Kaithal, Fatehpur, Ajmer, Pali, Rajsamand, Hamirpur, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Banda and parts of Kanpur and Meerut, with a pipeline network of over 28,000 kilometres.The company currently supplies PNG to over three million households and operates more than 950 CNG stations serving over 2.1 million vehicles.In Delhi, IGL is focusing on full PNG penetration in select localities, aiming to make them LPG-free zones. Areas such as New Moti Bagh, East Kidwai Nagar and West Kidwai Nagar have already been converted.The government has also stepped in to accelerate the transition, mandating last month that households with PNG access must shift away from LPG in such areas. Consumers with both options are required to surrender LPG connections within 90 days, failing which cylinder supply will be discontinued. Exemptions apply only where PNG connectivity is not technically feasible, subject to official clearance.India consumes about 31.3 million tonnes of LPG annually, with domestic production meeting roughly 40% of demand. The rest is imported, with nearly 90% of shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz a key global energy route that was blocked during the Middle East conflict.
