Centre accelerates urban PNG roll-out to expand clean energy access

New Delhi: In a coordinated push to expand clean energy, senior officials from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas chaired a high-level review meeting on Thursday to accelerate the rollout of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) infrastructure in urban India.

The meeting, conducted via video conferencing, brought together state officials, district heads, city managers, and representatives from nearly 200 districts and over 600 urban local bodies. Regulators and city-level fuel network operators also participated, ensuring broad coordination.

Officials focused on expanding PNG systems across 110 priority zones, emphasizing speedier clearances and tight inter-departmental coordination. States and urban local bodies were given a three-week deadline to submit action plans with targets broken down by ward and specific schedules. The strategy prioritizes neighborhoods with existing pipelines to maximize rapid connectivity.

Authorities noted that 30 lakh households could immediately gain access under existing infrastructure, while another 60 lakh households across cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, and Pune remain potential beneficiaries. States have been advised to establish one-stop hubs and reduce steps for construction approvals. Pipeline layouts are now integrated into the PM Gati Shakti system to streamline planning and execution.

Officials stressed that expanding PNG access is central to India’s vision for cleaner, safer, and more energy-efficient cities, and underscored that strong collaboration between all government departments will be key to accelerating progress.