LPG Shortage News Today: As cooking gas becomes harder to procure, hotels are being forced to switch to firewood stoves and reduce food items in their menus. Meanwhile migrants in Hyderabad are repairing old pump stoves to manage cooking, leading to increased demand at pump stove repair centres.
“We work in hotels and are repairing pump stoves only because of the gas shortage. We’re using diesel to run these stoves since kerosene isn’t available,” Sanjay, a migrant laborer from Odisha told ANI.
India is in its fifth consecutive day of LPG crisis, with disruptions being reported across major cities of the country, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, and Chennai.
The crisis comes after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, followed by the Islamic Republic’s retaliation. The conflict led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway which transports around 85-90% of India’s LPG imports from West Asia, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Govt’s move to curb hoarding
The Central government on Tuesday invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 aimed at maintaining natural gas supplies amid supply shortages in the country due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
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The Act empowers the Central Government to regulate or prohibit the production, supply, distribution, trade, and commerce of commodities declared as “essential” (such as food items, fertilizers, drugs, and fuel). It is typically used as a move to prevent hoarding, black marketing, and artificial shortages.
Earlier, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas also assured that India has sufficient availability of petrol and diesel across the country, while the LPG situation continues to remain a “matter of concern” for the government.
Price of cooking gas cylinder hiked
The price of a 14.2 kg domestic cooking gas cylinder was raised by ₹60 last week. Meanwhile a 19 kg commercial cylinder become costlier by ₹144 across major cities and states of the country.
Customers can book LPG refills from home through WhatsApp, SMS/IVRS or their respective OMC mobile apps.
A 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder costs anywhere between ₹900-100 in India, depending on the city. Whereas, a 19 kg commercial cylinder costs around ₹1,800-2,200 in Indian cities.
The Oil Ministry on Friday noted that trends showed panic, with LPG booking demand up to 75.7 lakh against an average of 55.7 lakh in the pre-war period. “There is no need for panic booking; no dry-out at any LPG dealer,” Sharma added.
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