Mumbai: Amid the CNG shortage that gripped Mumbai from Sunday to Tuesday, Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) secured emergency support from Gujarat Gas and kept four additional city gate stations—located at Mahape, Ambernath, Taloja, and Raigad—fully operational. This ensured uninterrupted supply of cooking and commercial gas, while also keeping BEST buses fuelled for continuous operations, MGL managing director Ashu Shingal said.
To prevent a complete breakdown of public transport, the distributor adopted a controlled supply strategy across Mumbai, Thane, and Navi Mumbai. While certain CNG pumps were temporarily shut, at least one or two outlets in every neighbourhood remained open, albeit with low pressure. This helped autorickshaws and taxis remain on the roads, avoiding a total halt in services.
Shingal noted that MGL has already laid a 3.5 km pipeline parallel to the existing GAIL line, with work expected to be completed by February 2026. In the event of any future disruption—such as damage to the primary line—the company will be able to immediately switch to this alternate route.
He described the recent pipeline damage at the RCF compound in Chembur as particularly shocking, given that the area is designated as a protected zone where tampering is considered unlikely. According to sources, drilling work by a third-party contractor severely damaged the GAIL India pipeline, which runs around 8 feet underground. The damaged segment was isolated from the system, cutting off supply to MGL’s Wadala station.
An investigation is underway, and the contractor is expected to face penalties, sources added. MGL suffered losses of over ₹2 crore, while CNG pump operators incurred nearly ₹40 crore in revenue losses over the 48-hour disruption.
Some autorickshaw drivers reported that gas supplied at certain pumps was “rich gas,” which caused vehicles to stall immediately, union leader Thampy Kurien said.
Commuters faced significant difficulties over the past three days as queues stretched 1–2 km outside many CNG pumps across the city and suburbs. Auto drivers often waited two to three hours at company-owned stations, some of which supplied gas until 3 am. The shortage of autos and taxis forced many commuters to walk more than a kilometre to railway stations, while several drivers were accused of overcharging—demanding up to three times the normal fare.
School Bus Owners’ Association president Anil Garg also expressed concern, stating that around 2,000 school buses in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region run on CNG, with many having recently transitioned from diesel. “The government did not prioritise gas supply for school buses,” he said.
