Residents of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) will face higher costs for compressed natural gas (CNG) and piped natural gas (PNG) from April 9, following a fresh price revision by Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL).

Under the new pricing structure, CNG now costs Rs. 79.50 per kg, an increase of Rs. 1.50, while piped cooking gas is up by Rs. 1 per standard cubic metre, bringing the cost to Rs. 49. The latest adjustment comes in response to rising domestic gas procurement costs and fluctuations in the exchange rate, MGL officials stated.

The impact is expected to be felt widely. Mumbai alone has around 3 lakh autorickshaws and 20,000 taxis that run on CNG. Additionally, over 24 lakh households in the region rely on piped gas for cooking.

This marks the fourth time in six months that CNG rates have gone up, twice in November, once in December, and now in April. Earlier this year, auto and taxi fares were also revised upwards by Rs. 3, partly due to rising fuel costs.

Despite the hike, MGL maintains that CNG remains a more economical and eco-friendly fuel choice compared to petrol and diesel.