Concerns over LPG shortage amid the ongoing West Asia conflict are rippling across several Indian cities, raising worry about a wider supply crunch. Even as the government has cautioned people against panic causing rumors and urged calm, irregular supplies and a rise in prices of both domestic and commercial LPG have prompted households and businesses to look for alternatives fearing the shortage would grow.
In Delhi, community kitchens such as langars and Atal canteens are cutting menu options. Mess operators in student areas of Pune report irregular cylinder availability and rising costs, while in Bengaluru auto-rickshaw drivers using LPG say sudden price increases have added to their expenses.
The shortage is linked to the escalating conflict in West Asia, which has disrupted energy supply routes and LPG shipments to several importing countries, including India.
Several canteens in schools and colleges in Delhi have begun curtailing their menu, with one canteen at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) stopping the sale of snacks and offering only tea. Students living on campus also said the popular Ganga Dhaba may limit its menu to tea and bread omelette.
In Mumbai, single-cylinder households are among the worst hit, prompting many residents to take leave from work so they can wait for a refill. Queues were seen from Kandivali in the western suburbs to Dharavi and Bhandup in the eastern suburbs.
Restaurants across Kolkata are also grappling with a severe shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, forcing several eateries to trim menus, raise prices and even consider temporary closure. Several food joints have also shifted to wood-fired ovens to cope with the crisis.
As the West Asia conflict continues to disrupt energy supply routes, the pressure on LPG availability in India could intensify in the coming weeks, raising concerns for households, small businesses and food services that depend heavily on it.
