A direct pipeline connection has started supplying compressed natural gas (CNG) to Daruwala Petrol Pump in Pune’s Poolgate area, enabling the outlet to provide round-the-clock CNG service after a project delayed for nearly 13 years.
The underground pipeline connects the petrol pump on Solapur Road with Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited’s depot in Shivajinagar. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and MNGL jointly worked on extending the connection to the outlet. The project took about a year to complete and involved an investment of several crore rupees, according to the report.
The nine-inch pipeline is expected to provide a more consistent supply at adequate pressure. This could reduce the long queues that motorists face when CNG availability is interrupted or pressure falls, while also improving fuel access for vehicles using the Poolgate and Solapur Road corridors.
Ali Daruwala, the operator of the petrol pump and former president of the All India Pune Petrol Dealers Association, said the direct connection would help minimise supply disruptions caused by low pressure. The new arrangement also reduces the outlet’s dependence on supply arrangements that can be affected by wider network constraints.
The project had been held up for nearly 13 years because permissions from the Defence Ministry were pending, Daruwala said. The delay highlights the administrative complexity involved in laying underground fuel infrastructure through established urban areas, where pipeline work can require coordination between fuel companies, gas suppliers and land or security authorities.
Daruwala Petrol Pump, established in 1965, has served motorists in Pune for more than six decades. Its new pipeline-based CNG supply comes as the city’s road users continue to depend on reliable access to compressed natural gas for cars, taxis, auto-rickshaws and other vehicles.
The direct connection is expected to improve fuel availability at the outlet and support 24-hour service. MNGL and HPCL’s completed pipeline extension now moves the facility from a constrained supply arrangement to a direct depot-linked system, with the stated operational benefit of steadier pressure and fewer interruptions.
