No CNG for your car? Noida tightens checks, vehicles with 3-year-old cylinders face stoppage

The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration has tightened checks at CNG stations across Noida and Greater Noida. Pump operators have been told not to fill CNG in any vehicle without a valid hydrotest certificate and verification of the compliance plate.

Following the order, most pumps in Noida and Greater Noida have stopped filling gas in vehicles fitted with cylinders older than three years. The administration has issued strict instructions to all CNG pump operators in the district to ensure that no vehicle is supplied CNG without the required checks.

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Hydrotest verification mandatory before CNG refuelling

Pump operators have also directed their staff to examine the date of the last hydrotest on the compliance plate before allowing refuelling. Every CNG-fitted vehicle must undergo a hydro-testing of its cylinders every three years under the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988.

CNG is being filled only after confirmation of both a valid hydrotest certificate and the compliance plate details. The testing date mentioned on the compliance plate has been made a mandatory part of the verification process. With the new rules in force, vehicles without a valid hydrotest certificate are not being given CNG, and gas is also not being filled in vehicles with cylinders older than three years.

The administration has made it clear that compliance plate verification and hydrotest records must be checked before refuelling at CNG pumps in Gautam Buddh Nagar. The move comes as the district administration remains on alert after an accident caused by a cylinder blast at a CNG pump in Delhi.

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Danger of valve leakage in old cylinders

Filling CNG for three consecutive years increases the risk of corrosion and weakening of the cylinder. There's also the possibility of valve leakage. Consequently, the risk of a cylinder exploding during high-pressure filling can increase significantly.

Administration appeals to drivers

The administration has urged drivers to have their cylinders hydrotested on time and carry a valid certificate. According to the administration, filling up CNG without testing is like risking one's life.