New Delhi: There has been a significant rise in user activity on the Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) mobile application and increased demand for piped natural gas (PNG) connections in NCR since the beginning of March, amid reports of a crisis in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) availability caused by supply chain disruptions linked to escalating US-Iran tensions.LPG is stored in cylinders and supplied to homes through a distribution network while PNG is delivered directly to homes through an underground pipeline network.According to official data, the IGL Connect app has recorded more than 22,000 new registrations in the first 15 days of March. This marks a 14% increase in the registration rate compared to Feb, indicating consumer interest. “The trend suggests that more users are not only downloading the app, but also actively signing up, possibly to secure uninterrupted access to cooking gas,” said an official.The increase in digital engagement has been accompanied by a notable rise in domestic PNG connections. Since March 1, IGL has commenced gas supply to more than 15,000 new households. This comes alongside a substantial jump in installation capacity, with the company completing between 1,300 and 1,500 connections per day.“Earlier this year, the average installation rate stood around 600-700 connections daily, highlighting a rapid scaling up of operations in response to growing demand,” said an IGL spokesperson.The growing demand is reflected in the expanding user base of the IGL Connect platform, said the official. The application has nearly 8.5 lakh active users while total registrations have crossed 13 lakh.Incorporated in 1998, IGL took over the Delhi City Gas Distribution Project in 1999 from GAIL (India) Limited. The project was started to lay the network for the distribution of natural gas in the NCT of Delhi to consumers in the domestic, transport and commercial sectors. The company mostly operates in Delhi and the NCR cities of Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon, as well as in Ajmer and Kanpur.Officials said commercial establishments have also shown heightened interest in PNG. Queries from businesses such as restaurants, hotels and small industries have increased sharply recently, from about 20 per week to nearly 140 per week, pointing to a broader trend of commercial users exploring alternatives to conventional fuel sources.IGL said it has effectively ramped up its project and installation teams to meet requirements. The company has doubled its installation capacity, ensuring the increased volume of requests does not lead to significant delays. The focus remains on maintaining continuity of supply while accommodating new consumers at a faster pace, officials said.“We are coming up with offers where, on switching to PNG before March 31, one can get a Rs 500 discount on the bill,” said a senior official.Govt has said that persons who have a PNG connection will no longer be allowed to obtain a new LPG connection or keep an additional LPG connection. In a notice, the ministry of petroleum and natural gas directed that households with PNG connections but not yet using the service should begin availing it. According to the ministry, India has 1.6 crore PNG connections. Of these, over 1 crore are actively using natural gas.Govt has instructed city gas distribution entities to speed up the conversion of the remaining consumers in areas where PNG infrastructure has already been laid and where households are willing to switch to PNG.
