Mumbai’s compressed natural gas (CNG) crisis continued for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, leaving hundreds of motorists stranded in long queues across the city. According to Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL), only 225 of its 389 CNG stations were operational as of Tuesday afternoon, even though restoration of gas supply was initially expected by noon. The disruption was caused by a major pipeline damage that choked gas flow to several distribution points, including the key CGS Wadala station.

Despite MGL’s assurance on Monday that “rectification work is in progress,” the situation remained dire until at least 3 p.m. The company reiterated that supply would normalise once the damaged line was fully restored, apologising for the inconvenience caused. Authorities said priority was being given to residential consumers, with commercial and industrial users advised to switch to alternate fuels until the network stabilises.

The impact of the shortage was visible across Mumbai and adjoining suburbs as long queues formed outside the limited-functioning CNG outlets. Drivers of black-yellow taxis and autorickshaws reported waiting over three hours for refuelling, compared to the usual 15 to 30 minutes. “I have been in the queue since 4 a.m. and still haven’t been able to refuel,” said taxi driver Sitaram Rajak at Tardeo’s MGL station. “I wanted to start early to earn well, but half the day is gone.”

Also Read: Swiggy’s Big Fundraise Plan: Rs 10,000 Crore to Fuel Instamart’s Growth and Profitability

According to the Petrol Dealers Association, low gas pressure has kept many of the city’s 150 CNG pumps offline since Monday morning. Several app-based taxis briefly switched to petrol mode, but older black-and-yellow cabs — which had removed their petrol tanks to save costs — were forced to stay off the roads. Many autorickshaw drivers also complained of losing an entire day’s income as they waited for limited gas supplies.

The supply crunch has also affected public transport operations. Sources in the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking confirmed that some CNG buses were delayed or temporarily rerouted from impacted depots, though officials insisted overall operations remained stable. Meanwhile, efforts to repair the damaged pipeline continue, with MGL engineers working to resume normal supply across all stations by Tuesday evening.

Also Read: Helmeted MLA Stands With Farmers Amid Fertiliser Chaos in Madhya Pradesh