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Due to America-Israel’s war with Iran, the shortage of LPG is increasing across the country. The situation is such that people are standing in long queues outside the gas agencies since 4 am in the morning.
Black marketing and hoarding of gas cylinders is also taking place. At many places a commercial cylinder worth ₹2 thousand is being sold for ₹4 thousand. Along with this, action is also being taken to confiscate the cylinder.
However, the government claims that there is no shortage of fuel in the country and people do not need to panic. Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has also said in Parliament that everything is under control.
Madhya Pradesh: Everyone from elderly to children are running for cylinder LPG crisis is deepening in Madhya Pradesh. More than 50 thousand hotels and restaurants have not received commercial cylinders since last 5 days. In many hotels there is only 24 to 48 hours of gas left. In such a situation, they are on the verge of closure. However, induction and diesel furnaces are being used as alternative arrangements.
Along with this, domestic cylinders have also increased the problems. In many cities including Bhopal and Indore, everyone from elderly to children are running for cylinders. At some places, people are standing in queues for hours with cylinders, while at some places, cylinders are being distributed under the shadow of police. Read the full news…
Bihar: Long queues of people formed outside gas agencies Long queues of people are seen outside the gas agencies. People have to wait for hours. The effect of cylinder shortage is now visible on the market as well. Due to non-availability of gas, the demand for wood and coal has increased, due to which their prices have also increased rapidly. Besides, the prices of induction have also increased almost five times. Read the full news…
Government’s appeal – leave LPG and shift to PNG
Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary of the Petroleum Ministry, said that our refineries and LPG stock are sufficient. He has appealed to the public that those who can shift to piped gas (PNG), should take the connection immediately.
According to the government, there are about 60 lakh families in the country who have PNG facilities near their homes. There is no shortage of PNG in the country and its connection is also available quickly.
On behalf of the government, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing and Oil Refinery) of the Petroleum Ministry, held a press conference in Delhi.
Black marketing in full swing, hoarders charging arbitrary prices
On one hand the government is saying that the supply is fine, while on the other hand the situation on the ground is different. Taking advantage of this crisis, hoarders have started black marketing of cylinders. In many areas, domestic cylinders are being sold for up to ₹4,000. The Joint Secretary said that the production of LPG has been increased by 40%, yet the queues outside the agencies are not reducing.
Message came, but cylinder not found
People are extremely worried in areas like Ghaziabad and Khoda. Many people complain that the message of ‘cylinder delivered’ came on their mobile, but the cylinder did not reach their home.
Some people are returning empty handed due to OTP and other technical issues despite booking 25 days in advance. People are waiting for their turn from 4 am to 10 pm.
Restaurants and dhabas returned to stoves and wood
The shortage of domestic as well as commercial cylinders has broken the backs of small businessmen. Many restaurants and dhabas are now forced to cook food on electric furnaces, coal or wood stoves.
Those shopkeepers who are unable to make arrangements are closing their shops. Due to this, the jobs of delivery partners have also come under threat. Gas which was available for ₹70 kg is now available for ₹300-400.
Police action: 398 cylinders seized in Madurai
To stop black marketing and illegal storage of cylinders, action was taken in the states against hoarders.
- Tamil Nadu: Madurai Police raided two locations and seized 398 cylinders and arrested two people.
- Madhya Pradesh: 38 domestic cylinders were seized in Chhatarpur in two days. These include 13 cylinders from the water plant in Bilhari village and 24 cylinders from a house in Vishwanath Colony.
- Uttar Pradesh: In Hapur, police raided a house and recovered 32 domestic gas cylinders. Of these, 18 cylinders were filled.
- Karnataka: More than 50 warehouses and many goods trains were searched in Bengaluru in the last 2 days. However, nothing suspicious was found.
LPG cylinder booking rules changed thrice in 6 days
- 6 March: The lock-in period for domestic LPG booking has been made 21 days.
- March 9: Due to increase in demand, the lock-in period in cities was increased to 25 days.
- 12 March: The gap for booking cylinders in rural areas was made 45 days.
Hope increased from 20 tankers stranded in Hormuz
According to Bloomberg report, two tankers stranded in the State of Hormuz have reached India. Right now 20 more tankers are trying to get out from there. These ships are loaded with crude oil, LPG and LNG. Talks are going on between India and Iran so that these tankers can reach India soon and the supply shortage can be resolved.
The government has taken 5 important steps so far
1. High-level committee formed: In view of the crisis, the Petroleum Ministry has formed a high-level committee of executive directors of three oil companies, which will review the supply.
2. Essential Commodity Act implemented: To control the supply of gas, the Central Government has implemented ‘Essential Commodity Act 1955’ across the country.
3. LPG booking will be done after 25 days: The rules for booking domestic cylinders have been changed. Consumers will be able to book the second cylinder only after 25 days after one cylinder is delivered.
4. OTP and biometrics mandatory: To prevent gas hoarding, delivery agents are strictly using OTP or biometric verification.
5. Order to increase LPG production: The government had ordered all oil refineries to increase LPG production. Now production has increased by 28%.
2 reasons for supply crisis
1. Almost closure of the Strait of Hormuz
The biggest challenge for India is the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This is about 167 km long waterway, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. Due to Iran war this route is no longer safe. In view of the danger, no oil tanker is passing through there.
20% of the world’s total petroleum passes through here. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait also depend on it for their exports. India sources 50% of its crude oil and 54% of its LNG requirement through this route. Iran itself exports through this route.
2.LNG production stopped due to drone attack on the plant
Last week America and Israel had struck Iran. In response, Iran has targeted American bases in countries like UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi.
After Iran’s drone attack, Qatar, the largest country supplying gas to India, has stopped the production of its LNG plant. Due to this the supply of gas in India has reduced. India imports 40% of its LNG requirement (about 27 million tonnes annually) from Qatar.
Government increased the price of domestic gas cylinder by ₹60
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Read this news also…
LPG shortage in the country, demand for induction increased: Product sales in Amazon up to 30 times, out of stock on many e-commerce websites.
Amidst the growing concern over the availability of LPG in the country, the demand for induction on online shopping platforms has suddenly increased. This product is out of stock on many e-commerce sites.
There is a significant reduction in induction stock on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart and Blinkit. Almost all the models are seen out of stock on Blinkit, while only a few brands are available on Amazon and Flipkart.
Due to increasing tension in the Middle East and impact on gas supply, people in many cities are troubled by non-availability of LPG cylinders. For this reason, we are buying induction cooktop as a backup. Read the full news…
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