India, April 2 -- As Mumbai continues to grapple with an acute LPG shortage, the focus is now also on PNG, or piped natural gas. Residents across the city say they are facing prolonged delays in securing PNG connections, despite follow-ups and, in many cases, infrastructure already being in place. In March, enquiries for new connections jumped fourfold.

Unlike LPG, domestic PNG supply has suffered no disruption after the West Asia war broke out, and the state government has mandated that every Mumbaiite secure a PNG connection where infrastructure is available.

The appeal of PNG also lies in its reliability and convenience - no booking, no waiting and, until now, no shortage for domestic consumers.

In Chembur, though, Ashish Arora, who...