Gurgaon: As war in West Asia strains LPG supplies and the Centre urges households to shift to piped natural gas wherever possible, thousands in Gurgaon are stuck in limbo. In large parts of the city, residents are ready, housing societies have internal infrastructure in place, and gas companies say connections can be released quickly. What is missing is govt clearance.Delays in right of way (RoW) permissions have stalled PNG expansion to more than 10,000 households, forcing many to continue depending on LPG cylinders at a time of supply stress.At least 10 RoW permissions needed for laying underground PNG pipelines are pending in the city — seven with GMDA and three with MCG — according to sources. These approvals are mandatory before public land can be dug up for pipeline work. Without them, the city gas distribution network cannot be extended to homes that have already applied for connections. Haryana City Gas Distribution Limited currently supplies to around 70,000 households in the city.The bottleneck mirrors a concern flagged by the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas in a March 16 letter to states and Union territories. The ministry identified slow statutory clearances from local bodies as a major hurdle in expanding city gas distribution networks and asked states to remove procedural delays.The push has come amid disruption in LPG supplies linked to global geopolitical developments. The Centre has projected PNG as a steadier and cheaper alternative because it relies more on domestic gas sources and can provide uninterrupted supply.“Expanding the CGD network assumes critical importance in the present scenario and states are requested to expedite the process,” the ministry said, adding that delayed permissions, high road restoration charges and the absence of dedicated utility corridors were slowing work on the ground.In Gurgaon, GMDA charges Rs 7 lakh per kilometre for RoW permission.To ease the logjam, the ministry has proposed temporary measures till June 30, including deemed approvals for pending applications, a 24-hour deadline for new permissions, waiver of road restoration and other civic charges, round-the-clock work for CGD entities, and nodal officers at the state level to coordinate approvals.Haryana City Gas said getting RoW clearance was the main obstacle.Rahul Chopra, MD of HCG Group, agreed that pipelines can’t be laid without these permissions, but once approvals are granted, work can move quickly and connections can be released soon after. He said wider PNG access would help households, industries and commercial establishments cope better with LPG supply constraints.For residents, the delay has become a daily inconvenience. Praveen Malik, RWA president of Rising Homes, said the society’s internal network has been ready for nearly one and a half years, but connections have not been released because GMDA has not granted RoW permissions. Many residents, especially tenants who lack authorised connections, have struggled to get regular LPG supply during the ongoing shortage, he said.Sunil Sareen, RWA vice-president of Emaar Imperial Gardens, said his society’s PNG line could become operational within weeks if the civic approvals came through. He added at least half a dozen societies already have infrastructure in place, while around 25 societies along Dwarka Expressway are willing to switch to PNG.The problem is not new. TOI reported last month that PNG rollout in sectors 102 and 102A had been stalled for more than two years because of pending GMDA permissions.A GMDA official said all RoW applications for PNG pipelines are being reviewed on priority.“As part of this process, approvals for two new RoW permissions are currently being granted and a letter of intent will be issued in the coming days. The Authority is committed to facilitating essential infrastructure development while ensuring due compliance with all norms and procedures,” the official added.
