Mandi: Residents of Mandi may soon have access to Piped Natural Gas (PNG), as preparations are underway to develop a pipeline network in Mandi city and Nerchowk. Land has been identified in the Tarna and Chadyara areas, while final approval for the proposed site at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College and Hospital, Nerchowk, is still awaited.
The project has been entrusted to Gasonet, with initial work focused on developing the infrastructure required for gas distribution. Once the network is established, pipelines will be extended to households and connections provided to consumers. However, no timeline has been announced for the rollout of household connections.
Currently, PNG services in Himachal Pradesh are available only in Una district. Efforts are underway to expand the facility to Mandi, Kangra, Hamirpur and Sirmaur.
Unlike Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), which is supplied through cylinders, PNG is delivered directly to homes through pipelines. The facility could spare consumers the hassle of booking cylinders, waiting for deliveries and replacing empty cylinders.
The cost of PNG will depend on consumption, local gas rates and connection charges. Residents of Mandi and Nerchowk will have to wait for infrastructure development and the completion of the pending approval process before the service becomes available.
