Mumbai: In a significant policy shift aimed at accelerating access to piped natural gas (PNG), the BMC has directed all ward offices to grant trenching permissions to Mahanagar Gas Ltd (MGL) within 24 hours for laying gas pipelines across the city.The circular, issued by the road and traffic department and approved by the municipal commissioner on March 30, comes in the backdrop of recent Middle East conflict.Acting on directives from the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, the civic body has moved to facilitate quicker PNG connections in Mumbai. Under the new guidelines, all existing and pending applications from MGL will be treated as “deemed approved”, allowing immediate commencement of pipeline works. For fresh applications, permits are to be issued within a day, covering all categories of roads, including both defect liability period (DLP) and non-DLP roads. BMC has also offered MGL the option to undertake trench reinstatement independently, subject to adherence to civic specifications and submission of a performance bank guarantee amounting to 20% of reinstatement charges.In cases where the utility opts out of self-restoration, the BMC has fixed reinstatement charges at Rs 5,000 per running metre for concrete roads and Rs 3,500 per running metre for asphalt and paver block roads. Additionally, a one-time access charge of Rs 1,000 per kilometre will be levied for new applications where payment demand notes have not yet been issued. To expedite work, the BMC has permitted round-the-clock pipeline laying and relaxed working season restrictions until June 30, 2026. In a temporary measure, the requirement for no-objection certificates (NoCs) from the chief fire officer and traffic police has also been eased, with MGL required to only intimate daily work schedules to the authorities.The circular will remain in effect until June 30, 2026, said chief engineer of civic roads department M Swami, adding all departments have been instructed to ensure compliance and facilitate swift execution of the directive.
