Publication of draft Notification Gas Cylinders(Third Amendment)Rules 2026

REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99 The Gazette of India CG-DL-E-10062026-273313 EXTRAORDINARY PART II-Section 3-Sub-section (i) PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 414] NEW DELHI, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2026/JYAISTHA 20, 1948 MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 10th June, 2026 G.S.R. 461(E).— The draft of the following rules to amend the Gas Cylinders Rules, 2016 which the Central Government proposes to make, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 5 and 7 of the Explosives Act, 1884 (4 of 1984), is hereby published as required by sub-section (1) of section 18 of the said Act, for information of all persons likely to be affected thereby; and notice is hereby given that the said draft shall be taken into consideration after Thirty (30) days from the date on which the copies of this notification as published in the Official Gazette are made available to the public; Objections or suggestions, if any, to these draft rules may be sent to the Deputy Secretary (Explosives), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Room No. 145, Vanijya Bhavan, New Delhi – 110001 or Email: [email protected]; within the period specified above. The objections or suggestions which may be received from any person with respect to the said draft rules, within the period so specified, will be considered by the Central Government. Draft rules 1. Short title and commencement.- (1) These rules may be called the Gas Cylinders (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026. (2) They shall come into force on the date of their final publication in the Official Gazette. 2. In the Gas Cylinders Rules, 2016, in Form G, under the heading 'CONDITIONS', after condition 21, the following condition shall be inserted, namely; "22. Additional conditions for CNG Mobile Refuelling Units (MRU); For the purposes of this condition, ‘CNG Mobile Refuelling Unit' or ‘CNG MRU’ means a mobile assembly comprising CNG storage cascade, dispensing unit, piping, hoses, couplings, valves, pressure regulating devices, safety fittings, emergency shut- down system and other associated equipment mounted on a vehicle, trailer, skid or any other mobile platform, intended for dispensing CNG into approved onboard CNG fuel cylinders or fuel systems at a site specifically approved for such purpose:- i. The CNG MRU shall be owned by a City Gas Distribution company authorized for the concerned geographical area and shall comprise an assembly approved by the Chief Controller of Explosives, including its storage cascade, dispensing system, piping, hoses, pressure-regulating devices, safety fittings, ESD system, layout, operating procedure and emergency response arrangement. ii. These CNG MRUs shall be equipped with a fail-safe, manually operable Emergency Shut Down (ESD) system from at least two accessible locations, capable of isolating the cascade and dispensing lines, and tested periodically in accordance with the manufacturer's procedure. capable of isolating or shutting off the CNG supply sources and immediately terminating dispensing operations when activated. iii. CNG shall be dispensed only in the fuel tank of a vehicle, boat or railway engine duly approved by the Chief Controller and shall have valid filling permission and valid permission/approval, wherever required, from the Chief Controller or the competent statutory authority concerned. iv. The CNG MRU shall be filled or charged only in the designated area of a CNG mother station or filling premises licensed in Form E and/or Form F, as applicable, and shown in the approved layout. v. The CNG MRU shall be parked only at a designated, level, open, well-ventilated and earmarked dispensing location, forming part of the approved site plan or site-specific permission for the parking of CNG MRU during the transfer of CNG into fuel tanks. vi. During CNG dispensing operations, the prescribed safety distance around the CNG MRU shall be maintained at all times, in accordance with the minimum distances specified below: +-----------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Total capacity of gas storage | Minimum distance from buildings and boundaries (in meters) or such higher | | cascade units (in liters) | distance as may be required from public roads, ignition sources, overhead electrical | | | lines, drains, basements, hazardous storage or other vulnerable locations | +===================================+======================================================================================================+ | Up to 4500 | 4.0 | +-----------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | 4500 to 10000 | 5.0 | +-----------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ No CNG MRU having a total water capacity exceeding 10,000 liters shall be used unless specifically permitted by the Chief Controller with additional safeguards. vii. The dispensing area shall be protected by physical means such as a fence (barricading, chain-link fencing, cones or other physical barriers, with conspicuous warning signs in English, Hindi and the local language) to prevent access by unauthorized persons. Activities other than those directly related to the CNG MRU operation shall not be permitted in the dispensing area. Smoking, open flame, mobile phone use, hot work, unauthorized electrical equipment and public access shall be prohibited within the dispensing area. viii. The refueling operation shall be carried out in the presence of and under the direct supervision of at least one authorized and trained responsible person of the CGD entity/licensee, whose training records shall be maintained and produced on demand, who is conversant with the hazards associated with CNG and the relevant provisions of the Rules and conditions of licence in Form-G. The filling operation of the CNG MRU shall be conducted under the direct supervision of a responsible person of the CGD company who has been duly trained in the safe handling and dispensing of CNG. ix. The cylinders of the cascade of the CNG MRU shall be designed as per IS-7285, ISO-9809, ISO-11119 or any other code acceptable to the Chief Controller of Explosives and shall have a maximum allowable working pressure of not exceeding 200 Bar gauge, or such pressure as may be specifically approved by the Chief Controller and shall be periodically tested, inspected and certified in accordance with these rules; valves, PRDs and fittings shall be of approved type. x. The hose and couplings for the transfer of CNG from the CNG MRU shall be suitable for CNG service, shall be mechanically and electrically continuous, and shall have a minimum burst pressure of not less than four times the maximum operating pressure and shall be periodically pressure-tested/leak-tested. These should be fitted with a breakaway coupling, an excess-flow or quick shut-off arrangement, and a suitable bonding/earthing arrangement xi. CNG shall be dispensed only in the non-transport vehicles operating within the area of mines covered under the Indian Mines Act, 1952, ports notified by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and waterways, fuel tanks of locomotives of the Indian Railway, fuel tanks of ships or boats operated on inland or seaborne waterways approved by the Maritime Board, Inland Waterways Authority of India, port authority, or any other competent maritime/inland waterways authority, as applicable, or fuel tanks of engines tested by Central Government- authorized Testing Laboratories. The Chief Controller, in exceptional circumstances for reasons to be recorded in writing and subject to such additional safeguards, site inspection, risk assessment and conditions as he may specify, may consider the refuelling of fuel tanks of heavy equipment and machinery or other heavy vehicles that cannot be brought to the fuel dispensing stations. xii. The list of vehicles proposed to be refueled with CNG shall be vetted by the Directorate General of Mines Safety or the Conservator of Ports or any other Competent Authority under whose jurisdiction the premises are situated and the vehicles are to be operated. The approved list shall be maintained at the site and updated before any new vehicle/equipment is refuelled. xiii. The fuelling activity shall be fully suspended during the CNG MRU exchange operation. All valves shall be closed, the dispensing system depressurized wherever required, the ESD kept activated, and no unauthorized person shall remain in the safety zone. xiv. The CNG dispensing area shall be located and maintained so as to ensure unhindered access and operation of emergency response vehicles, including access for fire tenders, ambulances and emergency response vehicles. xv. Every care shall be taken to avoid leakage of CNG from the CNG MRU, hose, coupling or the fuel tank of the vehicle. No dispensing shall commence unless hoses, couplings, valves, dispenser and receiving fuel system are visually checked and found leak-free. xvi. Site-specific emergency plan for each site shall be prepared for implementation in case of emergency, and the copy of such emergency plan shall be submitted to the District Magistrate, local fire service, police authority and jurisdictional Controller/Chief Controller, as may be specified; displayed at the site, communicated to operators, and tested through periodic mock drills." xvii. CNG MRU shall not be used for public retail dispensing on public roads, residential areas, commercial parking areas, basements, enclosed premises or any place not specifically approved. xviii. The licensee or CGD entity shall maintain records of CNG MRU filling, dispensing, pressure readings, vehicle/equipment details, operator details, leak checks, ESD checks, hose testing, maintenance, defects, repairs and incidents. Such records shall be produced before the inspecting authority on demand. xix. Any accident, fire, explosion, leakage or other untoward incident involving the CNG MRU shall be immediately reported to the Chief Controller, Controller, District Magistrate, Officer-in-Charge of the nearest police station and local fire service by the quickest mode of communication. xx. During movement, the CNG MRU shall comply with the applicable transport provisions under these rules and any other applicable law for the time being in force. [F. No. P-13033/32/2021-EXPLOSIVE-Part(3)] Dr. KAJAL, Jt. Secy. Note: The principal rules were published in the official Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II, Section 3, Sub-section (i) vide notification number 1081(E) dated 22nd November, 2016 and subsequently amended vide notification number G.S.R. 189(E) dated 27th February, 2018, G.S.R. 231(E) dated 15th March 2018, G.S.R. 44(E) dated 23rd January, 2019, G.S.R. 44(E) dated 20th January 2022, G.S.R. 225(E) dated 11th April, 2025, G.S.R. 386(E), dated 16th June, 2025, G.S.R. 501(E) dated 28th July 2025, G.S.R. 839(E) dated 12th November, 2025, G.S.R. 315(E), dated 27th April, 2026 and G.S.R. 447(E), dated 5th June, 2026.