Mumbai: A sudden halt in compressed natural gas (CNG) supply from Sunday afternoon created widespread chaos during Mumbai’s Monday morning rush hour, leaving thousands of commuters, professionals and students stranded citywide.
The crisis began after damage to a GAIL pipeline within the RCF compound disrupted supply to Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL)’s City Gate Station in Wadala, a critical distribution point serving Mumbai, Thane, and Navi Mumbai.
MGL confirmed in a statement that gas flow to its Wadala facility was affected by “third-party damage in the main gas supply pipeline of GAIL inside the RCF compound”.
The company said it prioritized maintaining domestic piped natural gas (PNG) supply while advising industrial and commercial users to shift to alternative fuels.
MGL has yet to announce when CNG supply will be restored to normal levels.
With pumps running dry overnight, hundreds of auto-rickshaws, taxis and app-based cabs remained parked. Drivers reported depleting their CNG reserves by Sunday evening and having no fuel available to begin Monday operations.
Transport Hub Faces Severe Impact
Kurla, among the city’s busiest transit points, saw major disruptions as students and office workers struggled to reach university campuses, corporate offices, BKC, and hospitals.
Without autos and cabs on the streets, BEST buses became the sole transport option for thousands of commuters.
Lengthy queues formed at stops across Kurla, Chembur, Santacruz, Andheri and Sion, with passengers fighting to board severely overcrowded buses.
Priya Patil, a student traveling from Kurla to her Kalina university, said the absence of auto-rickshaws left her waiting nearly 30 minutes at the bus stop.
“There were no autos anywhere. The buses were packed, and I had to force my way in. A journey that usually takes 15 minutes took almost 40,” she said.
Also read: Pipeline Rupture Triggers CNG Crunch, Sparking Endless Lines at Fuel Stations
Auto driver Sameer Shaikh, who works near Kurla West, said he had been waiting since early morning for CNG.
Drivers Left With No Options
“Passengers were pleading for rides, but what can we do? There is no CNG. We are just sitting in our autos, helpless. I waited at the petrol pump for one and a half hours, but there was no fuel. We have no option but to just park the autos,” he said.
The severity of the situation was evident at a Santacruz petrol pump, where nearly 100 vehicles—cars, autos and app-based cabs lined up before sunrise hoping for fuel. The queue extended roughly 100 meters onto the main road, worsening Monday morning traffic congestion.
Rakesh Pawar, an Ola driver, said he had been waiting in line since 6 am.
“Everyone thought supply would start in the morning. But the pump has been dry since yesterday. The entire line has not moved,” he said.
Another driver, Imran Khan, said they are facing financial losses. “People think we are refusing passengers. We can’t even start our vehicles. The whole city is waiting for gas,” he said.
Sahil Jadhav, a student commuting from Santacruz to Kalina campus, said, “It felt like an unannounced transport shutdown. People were running behind buses. Even the usually light morning buses were overflowing.”