The state government has approved the expansion of the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) network to provide piped natural gas (PNG) connections to more than 25,000 households and 69 commercial establishments in Bengaluru. The move was authorised amid concerns over liquefied petroleum gas supply due to the war in West Asia, and a letter dated 17 March from the chief secretary requested the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and four of the five corporations to grant road-cutting permissions on a priority and emergency basis.

The chief secretary suggested that the corporations may take a bank guarantee of Rs five mn from the agency to cover restoration and related costs. The letter noted that the GBA and the corporations had largely stopped allowing road cuts in the past year and that there had been resistance from local elected representatives and the traffic police to new work on busy thoroughfares.

Officials said the project will involve extensive road cutting to install the pipeline network and that significant disruption to commuters is likely while works are under way. The corporations and the authority will be required to coordinate traffic management and restoration schedules to limit inconvenience and to allow phased progression of the network roll-out.

Authorities indicated that prioritising the pipeline expansion is expected to provide an alternative cooking fuel and reduce reliance on cylinder supplies during supply fluctuations. The expansion is also intended to increase capacity for commercial users and strengthen the city's energy infrastructure over the medium term.

Local governments will need to balance the short term disruption with the anticipated long term benefits of PNG, including more stable supply and potential efficiencies for households and businesses. The plan envisages that once permissions are granted and work is scheduled, a sizable number of homes and establishments will progressively connect to the PNG network.