Once a piped dream, now a necessity

Between back-to-back customer calls and site visits, Nikhil (name changed) finds himself adding a rather unusual task to his to-do list: tracking down plumbers. Strange as it sounds, this has become a routine for Bhagyanagar Gas Ltd (BGL) officials. As Hyderabad witnesses a sharp rise in demand for piped natural gas (PNG) connections, plumbers and allied tradesmen have suddenly become critical in keeping up with installations.

For years, PNG remained in the background, overshadowed by its well-established and reliable liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) network. But this has recently changed as conflicts in West Asia disrupted key sea routes and India tightened its LPG imports. Almost overnight, attention turned to PNG. As shortages deepen, especially for commercial users, a system once considered niche has begun to attract interest from households, hotels and industries.