India Pushes States to Speed Up Adoption of Piped Natural Gas

The Indian government is pushing states and union territories to accelerate the adoption of piped natural gas (PNG) as a safer, cleaner, and more efficient cooking fuel. The Petroleum Ministry has asked state chief secretaries to provide district-level administrative support for this transition, which includes appointing nodal officers to coordinate with city gas distributors and oil marketing companies.

The ministry has notified the Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution (Through Laying, Building, Operation and Expansion of Pipelines and Other Facilities) Orders of 2026 and LPG Control Orders under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. These orders prohibit households from retaining simultaneous LPG and PNG connections and provide for discontinuation of LPG supply to households that fail to apply for a PNG connection despite due notice.

The push for faster adoption of PNG comes after the disruption to India's LPG supply chains during the West Asia crisis earlier this year. Piped natural gas proved more resilient during the crisis, particularly for domestic household consumers. The ministry is seeking district-level intervention to implement a regulatory framework aimed at preventing households from retaining both LPG and PNG connections in areas where piped gas is available.