News: 4 years & counting: 2 lakh families in new sectors still wait for PNG supply-07-06-2022
GURUGRAM: Around two lakh families living in highrises of new sectors along the Dwarka Expressway are yet to get piped natural gas (PNG) supply.
According to a rough estimate, there are around 150 housing projects along the expressway in sectors 83 to 115. Of these, however, only seven to eight societies have PNG connections, while the residents living in other societies for the past three to four years are dependent on LPG cylinders. Residents alleged that in the absence of PNG supply, they have been facing problems like delayed delivery of LPG cylinders and tampering by delivery agents.
Haryana City Gas (HCG), a gas distribution agency, is supplying PNG to around 140 residential societies across the city, but most of the new sectors are still not covered by its network. Just a handful of societies have piped supply from HCG, while it is in the testing phase in one or two societies in Sector 110.
After failing to get response from the government agencies and suppliers, residents met another PNG supplier, Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), which expressed a desire to expand its network but cited lack of government approvals as a hurdle. On May 18, residents met deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav, who agreed to intervene and take up the matter with the authorities concerned.
Gaurav Prakash, a resident of Brisk Lumbini in Sector 109, said new sectors have been dealing with multiple problems related to the civic infrastructure. “Lack of PNG supply in most areas of Gurugram is a problem created by the state government by not allowing IGL to expand its operations in Gurugram . IGL has assured us of coverage of residential areas along the expressway in six months if given approval by the government,” he said.
“Not just uninterrupted supply, there are less chances of leakage in PNG supply. Moreover, it is cheaper than LPG. Many highrises have poor fire safety infrastructure and so PNG is safer,” said Rajan Arvind, another resident.
Rao Dharamveer Singh, president of the RWA of Mapsko Casa Bella in Sector 82, said the population in new sectors is increasing and there is a pressing need for robust infrastructure, including roads, sewerage and underground infrastructure like piped gas and optical fibres.
HCG chief executive officer Rahul Chopra said the company has laid down pipelines in all the sectors across the city, including new sectors, but hasn’t been able to start supply due to a shortage of PNG. “In another three to six months, we will start supplying gas in these areas. We have already written to the ministry and the departments concerned to provide additional domestic gas for Gurugram ,” he said.
Deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav told TOI that new sectors are currently under the jurisdiction of HCG, which isn’t performing well in the area, so residents and IGL representatives recently met him. “On the basis of their request, we have written to the department of industries for allowing IGL to work in the new sectors. Their response is still awaited,” he said.
Earlier, Union minister and Gurugram MP Rao Inderjit Singh too had urged the Union and state governments to ensure the early completion of laying of PNG pipeline network in new sectors.
Residents said their earlier request to HCG for supply didn’t yield any results.
“HCG has been extremely slow in the expansion of PNG coverage due to many reasons. Subsequently, we approached Indraprastha Gas Limited,” a representative of a new sector residents’ group said.
On April 27, the Gurugram MP wrote to the Union minister for petroleum and natural gas, highlighting the residents’ desire for PNG supply in new sectors through IGL.
