WhatsApp Channel Join Now
Telegram Group Join Now

Relevance: GS Paper III — Energy Security & Infrastructure Source: The Hindu / PIB, 2026

1 · What happened

Following severe Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply disruptions triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the West Asia crisis, the Government of India is set to launch a national centralised portal for Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections.

The portal will accelerate migration from LPG to PNG. The government has also mandated a 90-day window for households and commercial users in PNG-served areas to surrender LPG cylinders and shift to piped gas, freeing up LPG for un-networked rural areas.

2 · Domestic Fuels Matrix — PNG vs LPG vs CBG

Piped Natural Gas (PNG) is methane-dominated gas supplied through underground pipelines by City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks — chemically distinct from cylinder-based LPG, and safer because it is lighter than air.

Composition
PNG — Methane (CH₄)
85–95% Methane with traces of ethane/propane. Lighter than air — dissipates upward on leak. Burns with a clean blue flame, negligible SO₂ or particulate matter.
Renewable Layer
CBG — Waste to Energy
Raw biogas (50–70% methane + 30–45% CO₂) is purified to over 90% methane to form Compressed Bio-Gas, which can be blended directly into PNG pipelines.
Mechanism
Centralised PNG Portal
Single-window application auto-routed to regional CGD utility, real-time monitoring of response times, and proposed online grid maps for locating nearby pipelines.
Vulnerability
LPG — Propane + Butane
Heavier than air — settles on floor, high explosion risk. India imports 60% of LPG demand, of which 90% arrives via the Strait of Hormuz — a single chokepoint exposure.

  • Penetration gap: 33.3 crore domestic LPG connections vs only 1.6 crore PNG household connections.
  • Ethyl Mercaptan: Odourless LPG is dosed with this rotten-egg-smelling additive to enable leak detection.
  • Gas-Based Economy target: Raise the share of natural gas in India’s primary energy mix from ~6% to 15%.
  • Security trade-off: Online pipeline grid maps risk exposing critical infrastructure to hostile actors.

UPSC Value Box
PNGRB Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board — statutory body under the PNGRB Act, 2006. Regulates refining, processing, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of petroleum and natural gas.
CGD Network City Gas Distribution — underground pipeline network supplying PNG to homes/industry and CNG to vehicles. Coverage now extends to 784 districts, nearly 100% of India’s area (except deep islands).
PACE Task Force PNG Acceleration for Clean Energy — constituted under PNGRB to act as an integrator: drives communication strategy and resolves supply-chain bottlenecks for last-mile connectivity.
2034 MWP Target Minimum Work Programme set by PNGRB — 12.63 crore PNG domestic connections and a nationwide expanded gas grid by 2034.
Strait of Hormuz Maritime chokepoint between Iran and Oman; 90% of India’s West Asian LPG imports transit here. Key UPSC mapping point.
Ethyl Mercaptan Sulphur-based odorant added to LPG (naturally odourless) to enable leak detection by smell.

MCQ Practice Question
Q. With reference to Piped Natural Gas (PNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in India, consider the following statements:

  1. PNG is composed predominantly of methane and is lighter than air, whereas LPG is a mixture of propane and butane that is heavier than air.
  2. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) was constituted as a statutory body under the Petroleum Act, 1934.
  3. Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG), once purified to over 90% methane content, can be blended into existing city gas distribution pipelines.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only    (b) 2 and 3 only    (c) 1 and 3 only    (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

  • Statement 1 — Correct: PNG is 85–95% methane and lighter than air (dissipates upward on leak); LPG is a propane–butane mix that is heavier than air and settles on the floor.
  • Statement 2 — Incorrect (the trap): PNGRB is a statutory body, but it was established under the PNGRB Act, 2006 — not the Petroleum Act, 1934. The Petroleum Act, 1934 deals with storage and transport of inflammable petroleum products, a different domain.
  • Statement 3 — Correct: Raw biogas (50–70% methane) is purified by removing CO₂ and H₂S to form CBG (over 90% methane). Being chemically identical to natural gas, CBG can be injected directly into PNG pipelines.

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

Ajmal IAS APSC Foundation Course

Recent Posts

Ajmal IAS APSC Foundation BATCH
Ajmal IAS APSC Foundation Course

Start Yours at Ajmal IAS – with Mentorship StrategyDisciplineClarityResults that Drives Success

Your dream deserves this moment — begin it here.