Safety Focus: Workshop Held for CGD Industry in Guwahati

A two-day Knowledge Sharing Workshop on ‘Strengthening Safety in the City Gas Distribution (CGD) Network’ was successfully held on January 23-24, 2025, in Guwahati, Assam. The event was jointly organized by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) in collaboration with Assam Gas Company Limited and Tripura Natural Gas Company Limited, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and safety experts.

A.K. Tiwari, Member, PNGRB, emphasized the growing relevance of fostering a strong safety culture through such knowledge-sharing initiatives. “The flow of safety culture is broadening through this type of workshop,” he remarked. A.K.Tiwari underscored the pivotal role of CGD entities in creating and assessing the demand for natural gas across the country, calling CGD networks a significant driver of the nation’s energy transition.

He noted that the consumption of natural gas in the CGD sector is witnessing a robust growth of approximately 10 per cent CAGR, and the sector's expansion over the coming decade is expected to play a critical role in catering to India’s energy needs. “Natural gas will be the safer, preferred, and less polluting energy source, making it an ideal transitional fuel,” A.K. Tiwari stated, highlighting the coexistence of all energy sources in the future energy basket.

Business Northeast (BNE) spoke to Sitanshu S. Roychowdhury, Vice President of Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) who shared, “The PNGRB has taken a fantastic initiative by bringing all the Compressed Gas Distribution (CGD) players of this country to Guwahati and Northeast India to share best practices in safety within the CGD network. The CGD industry is customer-facing, so safety is our top priority. That’s why PNGRB has decided that the best practices across India should be shared with all the companies here, enabling us to learn from each other and ensure a safer business environment and better customer safety.”

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When asked about the main agenda of the event, he explained, “The agenda is safety in the city gas distribution industry. Speaking of the Northeast, this region is one of the oldest in terms of the oil and gas industry in India. The potential here is enormous, and I believe that, in the coming days, Northeast India will lead the oil and gas industry in the country.”

Regarding Mahanagar Gas Limited's investment in the northeastern region, he stated, “It entirely depends on the opportunities available. If we are able to collaborate with any of the local industries, we would certainly be interested in setting up business here.”