Lucknow, Nov. 7 -- Thousands of households in Lucknow's high-rise residential complexes may soon have to switch from LPG cylinders to piped natural gas (PNG), with the Centre moving towards making PNG adoption mandatory in areas where pipeline infrastructure is already available. Under the proposed mechanism, residents in identified PNG-covered areas will be served a three-month notice to obtain PNG connections, after which LPG cylinder supplies will be discontinued. Green Gas Limited (GGL) has identified around 40,000 potential household connections in more than 200 high-rise residential complexes in Lucknow and aims to complete their conversion by March 2027. The proposed move signals a significant change in the government's approach to expanding PNG usage in major cities. Instead of relying solely on voluntary adoption, the Centre intends to push households towards PNG wherever the distribution network is available, with the larger objective of reducing dependence on LPG and maximising the utilisation of existing gas infrastructure. RK Behra, director (commercial), Green Gas Limited, said that PNG installations in multi-storey buildings involve extensive coordinated work, including laying pipelines in common areas, installing vertical risers, connecting individual flats, fitting meters and regulators, and conducting pressure and leakage tests before commissioning. "These operations require trained technicians to ensure compliance with safety standards. Of the more than 200 high-rise complexes identified, only 15 have so far been converted, indicating the scale of the task ahead. With approximately 40,000 potential connections to be delivered by March 2027, the company will need to substantially increase its execution capacity over the coming months," he said. High-rise complexes offer an opportunity to expand PNG coverage rapidly because hundreds of households can be connected through a single coordinated project. A key concern will be ensuring that the availability of a PNG pipeline in a locality is not treated as equivalent to an operational connection in every household. Residents should have access to a commissioned and usable PNG connection before their LPG supplies are discontinued. Delays caused by contractors, pending installations or incomplete internal networks could otherwise leave households facing avoidable inconvenience. The Centre's latest push could accelerate this transition, but Lucknow's experience highlights the gap between policy targets and ground-level execution. Executive director and state head IOC Sanjay Bhandari said that every directive of the Centre will be followed and it's up to Green Gas to complete the work at the earliest and then serve notices to the residents....