Mumbai CNG Crisis: Long Queues and Skyrocketing Fares, Supply to Return by Noon
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Mumbai's Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) crisis has brought the city to a standstill, with long queues of autorickshaws, kaali peeli taxis, and other vehicles forming at CNG stations for the second consecutive day. The wait time for refueling has increased from 15 to 30 minutes to a staggering three to four hours, leaving many frustrated drivers. The crisis began on Sunday due to third-party damage to a main pipeline owned by GAIL, which disrupted gas flow to Mahanagar Gas Limited's (MGL) City Gate Station in Wadala. As a result, 225 out of 389 CNG pumps in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region were operational on Monday. MGL has announced that the rectification work is in progress, and the gas supply is expected to be fully restored by noon on Tuesday. However, the disruption has already led to a significant spike in auto and cab fares, with some reports suggesting that prices have increased by as much as 400% for short distances. The situation has been exacerbated by the fact that Piped Natural Gas supply to households remains unaffected. In the meantime, authorities have advised industries and commercial enterprises dependent on gas supply to switch to alternate fuel until the crisis is resolved. As the city struggles to cope with the CNG shortage, some residents have taken to social media to express their frustration, with one user reporting that auto drivers are charging exorbitant prices for short trips. The situation is expected to improve once the gas supply is restored, but for now, commuters are advised to plan their journeys accordingly.
