Pune: PCMC Commissioner Calls For Joint Effort To Make Pimpri-Chinchwad India’s First ‘LPG-Free City’
Pune: PCMC Commissioner Calls For Joint Effort To Make Pimpri-Chinchwad India’s First ‘LPG-Free City’ ( Representative Image )
Pimpri, May 21, 2026: Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryavanshi has appealed to citizens, housing societies and Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) to jointly work towards transforming Pimpri-Chinchwad into the country’s first “LPG-free city” by increasing the use of domestic piped natural gas (PNG).
The appeal was made during a joint meeting organised by PCMC at the Auto Cluster Hall in Chinchwad to promote the use of household piped gas connections, reduce dependency on LPG cylinders and create awareness about safe and environment-friendly fuel alternatives.
The meeting was attended by PCMC officials, representatives of housing societies, officers from the cooperative department and senior officials of MNGL.
The meeting was attended by Additional Commissioner Vikrant Bagade, Chief Engineer Pramod Ombase, Deputy Commissioner Anna Bodade, Assistant Cooperative Officers Shashikant Shringare and Balasaheb Ghughe from the Deputy Registrar’s office, along with Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited Managing Director Shankar Kumar, Independent Director Bhagyashree Manthalkar, Director Shankar Karjagi, General Manager Ritesh Ingole, Amol Hathi, Senior Director Vasudev Gursali, Prashant Khandade, Deputy Manager Amol Vaidya, Sunil Patil, Param Gore, Santosh Bena and Management Trainee Pranav B.
Representatives and office-bearers from various housing societies, including Suhas Patwardhan, Sachin Londhe, Sachin Patil, Sandeep Kumbhar, Sanjeevan Sangale, Pratap Bhamare, Adhik Dive, Charuhas Kulkarni, Sagar Lokhande and Rahul Mokashi, were also present at the meeting.
Addressing the gathering, Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryavanshi said the civic body is committed to promoting environmentally sustainable, safe and modern fuel systems in the city. Referring to the Central government’s push for fuel conservation and cleaner energy, he said increasing the use of piped natural gas is the need of the hour.
He noted that several cities across India have already successfully adopted PNG systems and citizens have responded positively to the initiative. On similar lines, PCMC plans to launch a structured campaign to increase piped gas usage in every housing society across Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The Commissioner also stressed the need for extensive public awareness campaigns to build confidence among residents regarding the safety and convenience of piped gas systems. He suggested social media outreach, distribution of information brochures, training workshops, direct visits to housing societies and door-to-door awareness drives.
Special focus will be placed on societies where MNGL connections are already available but are not being actively used by residents. Dr Suryavanshi directed officials to prioritise such societies for targeted awareness campaigns.
He further suggested that MNGL appoint dedicated coordination officers to help residents resolve technical issues, clarify doubts and simplify the gas connection process.
Housing society office-bearers, including chairpersons and secretaries, were urged to encourage maximum participation among flat owners in the PNG initiative.
During the meeting, officials highlighted several advantages of piped gas systems, including uninterrupted gas supply, elimination of cylinder storage requirements, time savings and reduced environmental impact. Participants also expressed confidence that increasing PNG adoption would support the city’s long-term sustainable and smart development goals.
MNGL officials also gave a detailed digital presentation explaining the functioning of the household piped gas network, services available through the MNGL mobile application, customer facilities, financial aspects, safety standards and the benefits of using piped natural gas in residential properties.
