New Delhi, March 13 – A sense of urgency and concern swept through Delhi as people queued up across the city, seeking domestic gas, while eateries were forced to close, and reports of hoarding circulated. Despite the Centre insisting that there was no shortage of LPG in the country, this situation created panic among the population.
The Centre, on Friday, stated that uninterrupted supply of LPG to households has been ensured, and there is no need for panic booking for cylinders.
During a briefing, Sujata Sharma, a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said that domestic production of LPG has already increased by 30 percent since March 5.
"There is no need for panic booking, and there has been no shortage of LPG at any dealer," Sharma added.
Bookings for LPG have surged to 75.7 lakh, compared to an average of 55.7 lakh in the pre-war period, indicating a "panic booking" situation, she said.
Despite the assurances, long queues were seen outside LPG distribution centers across Bihar.
People flocked to distribution agencies in Patna, Bhagalpur, Rohtas, Katihar, and other districts.
The conflict in West Asia has impacted the supply of crude oil and petroleum products, following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman.
In Delhi, the gas shortage caused financial distress for small-scale traders.
Naresh Chawla, who runs a fast-food stall near PVR Saket, explained that a single establishment often supports several workers and their families.
"One small shop can support eight to 10 livelihoods. I employ three to four workers who have migrated from villages. Many of us have taken loans to run these stalls. If this continues, 30 percent of street vendors will lose their means of survival," he said.
In the city's Adarsh Nagar, a food vendor named Vicky said he paid around Rs 4,000 for a small cylinder.
Many vendors said they are now relying on savings or taking loans to cover daily household expenses.
The Madhya Pradesh Hotel Association (MPHA) advised eateries to switch to traditional wood-fired "tandoors" and implement "crisis menus" to keep their businesses running.
The association issued an advisory asking establishments to prioritize dishes that require lower gas usage or shorter cooking cycles.
The Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) told
"Till Thursday, around 20 percent of restaurants had closed. The number will increase to 40 percent by Friday as LPG stocks will run out soon," he said.
Delhi's super-speciality Desun Hospital introduced temporary menu changes to cope with the limited availability of cooking gas.
"The ongoing disruption in gas supply has affected several institutions, including hospital kitchens that depend on a steady fuel supply for preparing patient meals. At Desun Hospital, we have temporarily restricted our menu to vegetarian and egg-based meals since non-vegetarian preparations generally require more fuel and longer cooking time," said hospital chairman Sajal Dutta.
In the rest of the state, people stood outside gas agency centres – from Kakdwip in the south to Siliguri in the north – claiming they were unable to make online bookings.
Protests and road blockades occurred in several parts of Odisha on Friday, with consumers complaining about delays in receiving refilled cooking gas cylinders.
Long queues were seen outside LPG distribution centres across the state as people waited for refills, often days after booking.
In the state's Jajpur town, residents blocked a road by placing empty LPG cylinders after a local distributor shut its office, displaying a "No Stock Today" notice.
In Keonjhar district, residents blocked the Keonjhar–Sanaghagara road over the scarcity of LPG cylinders, disrupting vehicular movement for some time.
In Bengaluru, a housing society body advised residents against mass booking of gas cylinders.
Bangalore Apartments' Federation (BAF) strongly advised residents not to book multiple cylinders unnecessarily, stating that panic booking creates artificial shortages.
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Committee on Friday sought the petroleum minister's help in ensuring a steady supply of LPG cylinders for 'langar' (community kitchen) service.
In a letter to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the DSGMC said the war in West Asia has affected the langar service across gurdwaras for want of LPG because its supply has been "stopped" by the gas agencies.
In Rajasthan's Kota, a shortage of domestic and commercial LPG cylinders sent panic in the coaching hub with the presence of around 4,000 hostels and over 500 mess facilities.
Instances of hoarding were dealt with by police in at least two states.
Two people were arrested and detained under the Goondas Act in Tamil Nadu's Madurai for allegedly hoarding 398 LPG cylinders for black marketing.
In Karnataka's Yadgit, 46 domestic LPG cylinders, allegedly being used for commercial purposes in hotels, were seized during a special drive.
Deputy Commissioner Harshal Bhoyar told