Mumbai Residents Stuck Waiting Over a Decade for Piped Natural Gas Connections
Mumbai, 4th April 2026: In Sakinaka, one of Mumbai’s bustling eastern suburbs, hundreds of families and small businesses are still struggling without piped natural gas (PNG) even though the main pipelines were laid years ago. What was supposed to be a smooth transition to cleaner and more convenient fuel has turned into a long saga of delays, paperwork, and technical hurdles.
Societies like Shiv Prabha, Shiv Prerna, Dhanlaxmi, and Anna Sagar — together housing nearly 500 families — first applied for PNG connections as far back as 2010. Internal pipelines were installed in many buildings almost seven years ago, yet not a single household has received actual gas supply till date.
Manoj Bhor, a resident of Shiv Prabha Society, says the frustration is mounting. “We kept following up but there was complete silence till early 2025. Only in March 2026 did we receive a letter saying they are now laying a Medium Pressure distribution line on the Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road and need an extra 70-metre pipeline to reach us.” Residents wonder why internal work was allowed to proceed if the basic connectivity wasn’t confirmed, especially given the narrow roads and existing underground utilities.
Senior citizens are among the worst affected. Many find it physically difficult to book, lift, and replace heavy LPG cylinders every month. “The government keeps pushing PNG as a safer and better option, but on the ground we are still stuck with cylinders,” said Aarya Ankushrao, a resident.
Bakeries Hit Hard
Local commercial users are also suffering. Several bakeries in the area invested ₹25,000 or more per connection last year after being assured of supply. Today their new PNG-compatible ovens are lying idle. Ashfaque Siddique, Vice-President of the Bombay Bakers Association, explains, “Many units shifted from coal and wood to cleaner fuel expecting continuous supply. Now they are facing severe shortages of commercial LPG cylinders and cannot run their production properly.”
Gap Between Policy and Reality
The Maharashtra government and city gas distribution companies have been aggressively expanding the PNG network across Mumbai. Recent directives have asked officials to fast-track pending applications and even consider automatic approvals in some cases. Nationally too, there is a strong push to reduce LPG dependency and promote piped gas.
Yet in Sakinaka, the gap between infrastructure laid and actual service delivery remains wide. Residents say they are ready to cooperate on technical solutions, but want concrete timelines instead of repeated assurances.
Until the authorities resolve the pending connectivity and feasibility issues, hundreds of families and small businesses in this part of Mumbai will continue paying the price — both in convenience and commerce — for delays that have already stretched over 16 years.