In November 2023, when Shibu K.T. moved into his new flat in Padur on Rajiv Gandhi Salai, there was one item he did not have to take along — the LPG cylinder.
At the time of booking, the developer had promised supply of piped natural gas (PNG) and he had made good on that promise by the time of delivery of flats.
“Some residents decided to keep a cylinder as a back-up, but I did not. With a prior idea of how PNG functions, I was confident this will work fine,” says Shibu, a resident of Alliance Urbanrise. And it did for Shubu, and just as he expected, it was a saving on space and money and on time too, as he did not have to keep a tab of when to book a refill.
With the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board along with the city’s gas distribution agencies running campaigns to promote the adoption of PNG by households, there is considerable buzz in Chennai where PNG infrastructure is coming up.
On CTH Road in Ambattur, work on providing PNG supply to Kochar Panchsheel has reached the entrance of the gated community. The RWA has paid an advance amount to initiate the work inside the community. A few rounds of meetings were organised to explain to residents the benefits of switching to PNG. The Association has also allowed the energy company to use the piped LPG storeroom for any infrastructure work pertaining to PNG. “The room allotted for piped LPG was never put to use, so if there is a need for space then we have it,” says Santosh Abraham, a resident.
At Alliance Orchid Springs in Korattur, more than 200 flats have registered for PNG paying ₹ 576 each. The residents welfare association is confident more residents will sign up once pipeline-laying work starts in the neighbourhood.
An awareness session at a gated community in Padur
“Six of us from the society visited Metrozone in Anna Nagar to study the functioning of its PNG supply system. The only negative feedback we got is that cooking time has increased by some minutes in the new arrangement,” says Ganapathy Suresh, president, Orchid Springs Owners Association.
That should not loom large as an issue for the community that has faced challenges in terms of piped LPG supply.
“Every month we order 450 LPG cylinders and additional manpower is deployed to oversee this amenity including ensuring cylinders are replaced on time. There are many other practical issues in this setup including leakage in line where the burden is on the user,” says Ganapathy.
During winter time, residents are up against an additional challenge. “As pressure drops, we have to change cylinders more often and there is some 4% gas that remains as residue,” he says.
The RWA organised a meeting with senior officials from Torrent Gas clarifying all nagging queries from residents.
“There was some reluctance from tenants as the nozzle of the gas will have to be changed in the new set-up. Tenants are afraid as not all communities have PNG when they shift. The gas company assured them that they would give the old nozzle that can be rectified by any technician,” says Ganapathy.
Torrent Gas has completed 60% of the work at Metrozone in Anna Nagar where the residents welfare association is facilitating this project for phase 1, 2 and 3. Prior to giving consent to the energy company, a committee was formed to study PNG trends in other cities.
Saieeji R., a resident of Metrozone, says many residents have started using PNG since last year. “It is still in the early stages and so far it has been good.”
RWAs on OMR initiate mass registration for PNG
Work on providing PNG connections to 10 gated communities on Rajiv Gandhi Salai is in progress. Twenty other communities on the road are in discussions with a gas company about receiving connections.
Alagurajan Elangovan, assistant general manager - projects, AG&P Pratham, the natural gas supplier for this project in Chennai South and Chengalpattu, says there is greater awareness at OMR on the benefits of PNG.
“We have gated communities paying and registering as a whole. Previously, our marketing team would go door-to-door to get NOC from residents,” says Alagurajan. He cites the example of Alliance Urbanrise and Jain Inseli Park where the RWA took up the registration process for all the residents of the community. Weekends are packed for this company as communities invite them for an awareness session.
“We have many enquiries from independent homes as well as villa houses. We have started providing supply to such entities,” he says.
Irrespective of the type of house and number of units, PNG connection are possible. “If people give NOC to run pipes through their walls then infrastructure is our responsibility,” he says.
Currently, gas is supplied through DC units located at Kelambakkam, Perumbakkam and LCNG station at Semmencherry. Once the company makes greater progress in laying pipelines, giving connections will be faster.
How long will AG&P Pratham take care of this infrastructure?
“Our agreement with the government is that we will maintain it for the next 25 years, so we are responsible for all forms of maintenance except where physical damage to the infrastructure has happened,” says the spokesperson.
