Ashiv becomes Maharashtra’s first LPG-free PNG village, says Mahanagar Gas

New Delhi: Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) on Friday said Ashiv village in Maharashtra’s Latur district has become the state’s first LPG-free village after all its connected households were provided access to piped natural gas (PNG) for cooking.

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The company said it has established PNG connectivity for 1,050 households in the village, enabling residents to receive cooking fuel directly through pipelines connected to their kitchens.

The milestone marks a shift away from cylinder-based LPG for cooking and towards a continuous piped fuel supply. Unlike LPG, which requires households to book and receive cylinders periodically, PNG is delivered through the local gas distribution network and billed based on consumption.

MGL said the initiative is part of its efforts to extend city gas distribution infrastructure beyond major urban centres and increase access to natural gas in rural and semi-urban areas.

The transition in Ashiv was formally commemorated on August 20 in the presence of MGL representatives, local administration officials, gram panchayat representatives and residents.

Yadnesh Dhuri, Chief Executive Officer of Mahanagar Gas' SBU, said the achievement demonstrated that city gas infrastructure could be extended to rural communities through a structured rollout.

The company said the project was implemented with support from the local administration and residents, whose cooperation helped facilitate the development and commissioning of the PNG network.

Push beyond Mumbai

The Ashiv initiative comes as MGL expands its footprint beyond its traditional Mumbai and adjoining markets. Through its subsidiary Unison Enviro Pvt Ltd, MGL is developing city gas distribution infrastructure in Latur and Dharashiv, as well as in Ratnagiri, Chitradurga and Davanagere.

MGL's broader PNG network has already crossed 30 lakh household connections, according to company data, underscoring the growing penetration of piped natural gas as a domestic cooking fuel.

The company had connected nearly 3.21 million domestic households by the end of FY26, after adding 342,157 connections during the financial year.

The rural expansion also assumes significance amid the government's broader push to increase the use of natural gas in India's energy mix and build city gas distribution infrastructure across the country.

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For households, a PNG connection can reduce dependence on the logistics of cylinder delivery and provide a metered supply directly to the kitchen. However, the shift also requires households to complete the conversion from LPG to PNG and use the piped network once it becomes operational.

MGL has also been encouraging consumers in areas with operational PNG infrastructure to shift from LPG to piped gas. In June, the company said LPG supplies to housing societies with operational PNG networks would be discontinued after 90 days of notification, in coordination with oil marketing companies.

With Ashiv, MGL is now positioning the village as a potential model for wider rural PNG adoption, particularly in areas where gas distribution infrastructure can be extended economically and households can be shifted collectively from LPG cylinders to piped supply.

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