Industries in Manesar seek govt nod to switch to diesel

Gurgaon: With gas supplies turning uncertain in the shadow of the West Asia conflict, industries in Manesar have asked Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) for temporary permission to switch back to diesel, warning that prolonged shortages of PNG/CNG could push factories towards shutdown.The appeal captures the growing anxiety across one of Haryana's biggest manufacturing hubs, where hundreds of units depend on uninterrupted gas supply to keep furnaces, heating systems and production lines running. In their letter, Manesar Industries Welfare Association said losses were mounting by the hour and any further tightening in imported natural gas availability could leave factories unable to operate for days.They raised concerns for sectors such as auto components, electronics, consumer goods, die-casting, forging and food processing, where continuous heating cycles are critical. Even brief disruption, the association said, can throw output schedules off track, delay supplies and trigger heavy financial losses.In the communication signed by association president Rajesh Gupta, industries said they may be forced to use diesel for heating and power generation if gas scarcity worsens. The move, they insisted, would be temporary and unavoidable.The letter flags three immediate risks — revenue loss, supply-chain disruption and pressure on employment. A shutdown in Manesar, which supplies several national and global OEMs, could affect dispatch schedules for automobile and electronics companies and ripple through vendors and transporters. Many factories work on tight timelines, leaving little room for prolonged fuel disruption.Gupta said industries remained committed to environmental norms and would return to PNG/CNG as soon as supply normalised. While acknowledging that diesel-based operations cause higher emissions than gas, the association told the board that units would continue to comply with pollution rules during any temporary switch.