New Delhi, Sept. 22 -- Vehicles without a valid CNG cylinder hydro test certificate are being denied refuelling at Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) stations as part of a safety drive, with the company now introducing an automated system to identify such vehicles.

The technology enabled vehicle recognition and verification system has been initiated at 10 CNG stations and is aimed at strengthening checks on cylinder certification. Under the system, cameras capture the vehicle registration number, which is processed through an AI-based application.

The application establishes the vehicle's CNG cylinder linkage and checks whether the cylinder is valid or expired through the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) online portal. The compliance status is made available in real time, with alerts generated at the station through handheld devices, LED displays and the public announcement system.

IGL is conducting the safety drive across all its CNG stations, where station personnel are checking the validity of cylinders and verifying hydro test certificates before refuelling.

IGL officers are also making regular visits to ensure that CNG is dispensed only to vehicles carrying valid hydro test certificates. The company said the automated system would reduce manual dependency, provide centralised visibility of compliance data and enable timely intervention to prevent refuelling of non-compliant CNG vehicles.

The system is proposed to be rolled out at all IGL CNG stations in due course. The initiative is also part of a broader digital safety ecosystem under which relevant CNG cylinder certification information could eventually be integrated with vehicle-related databases, subject to the applicable regulatory framework. As per Rule 35, sub-rule (1) of the Gas Cylinder (Amended) Rules, 2025, every CNG cylinder must undergo hydrotesting at a PESO approved cylinder testing centre once every three years.

IGL operates more than 30,000 km of pipeline network across Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Rewari, Faridabad, Gurugram, Karnal, Kaithal, Fatehpur, Ajmer, Pali, Rajsamand, Hamirpur, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Banda, Chitrakoot, Mahoba and parts of Kanpur and Meerut. It caters to over 2.1 million CNG vehicles through more than 1,000 CNG stations and has connected nearly 3.5 million households with PNG.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.