Delhi: LPG panic booking starts as 25-day rule sets in

Delhi faces cooking gas shortages as demand surges amid government supply rules. Panic buying and black market prices rise despite official reassurances.

Published on: Mar 11, 2026, 04:08:15 IST

By Saloni Bhatia, Hemani Bhandari, Jasjeev Gandhiok, Snehil Sinha

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Fears over cooking gas shortages swept through Delhi, with gas agencies reporting a surge in calls from anxious customers and multiple requests for cylinders on Tuesday, hours after central government invoked the Essential Commodities Act to prioritise domestic supply amid disruptions caused by the widening West Asia conflict.

Some distributors reported shortage in supply on Tuesday. (HT)

While officials at retailers insisted there is no supply shortage, they said customers have begun demanding prioritised cylinder delivery in what appeared to be a rush, even as the government tried to assure consumers that adequate LPG is available.

A representative from Atul Enterprises in Janata Market near Jhandewalan Temple in central Delhi said the system is not generating booking slips due to the new 25-day rule. “There are people who made bookings three or four days ago but we are unable to provide them cylinders because of this rule,” he said.

On Monday, the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas confirmed it mandated a 25-day minimum gap between domestic LPG cylinder bookings, increasing the interval from the previous 21 days, to prevent panic buying, hoarding, and black marketing amid supply constraints caused by the ongoing conflict.

At Dhruv Gas Service, also in Janata Market, staff described confrontations with frustrated customers. “They are arguing with us, questioning us, but the system has been tweaked and we cannot help them,” a representative said.

Meanwhile, some agencies in west Delhi reported not receiving supply on Tuesday. Avinash Pandey, store keeper at an agency in Kirti Nagar, said they typically receive 350 cylinders daily from a Haryana supplier but got none on Tuesday. “We managed with what we had from Monday. We sold about 326 cylinders today but we don’t know what will happen tomorrow,” he said.

Another agency in the area said regular supply has been affected since last weekend. “For the past four days, we have been receiving only one truck and none came on Tuesday,” said shopkeeper Bhudev.

Commercial establishments are facing greater uncertainty. A representative from Siddhartha Enterprises in Rajinder Nagar said they have stopped supplying cylinders to commercial users following directions. “What we are seeing is a spike in bookings among customers. Even though the government has said there will be no shortage, people want to ensure they have a cylinder in reserve,” he added.

Prem Taneja of Rahul Gas Agency in Jangpura said they received no supply for three days but started getting them Monday. “From today, we have stopped supply to commercial establishments. We have been receiving calls from them but we have to follow directions,” he said.

In Vikaspuri, gas agencies reported being bombarded with calls. “Restaurants know we can no longer provide them commercial cylinders, but they still enquire daily. Domestic consumers are coming and calling us to try and get multiple cylinders but we tell them it’s not possible,” said Geetanjali, manager at Indane Nairs Gas Service.

Harnoor Singh, manager at Milind Gas Service, said they have heard of cylinders being sold at exorbitant rates in the black market – almost double the cost. A tea seller from New Friends Colony confirmed prices have risen from ₹1,100 to ₹2,000.

Restaurant owners said that in areas like Connaught Place where piped gas is not available, the situation is getting tense with no additional supply of gas cylinders.

“Till Tuesday morning the prices for commercial cylinders were fluctuating, and by evening the agencies said that they will not be giving any extra cylinders. For most restaurants, it is also getting difficult to offer items that take up a lot of gas, especially with coal tandoors no longer allowed,” said Varun Khera, owner of The Imperial Spice in CP.

NRAI Delhi chapter president Sandeep Goyle said that the industry is not facing any shortage yet but there is definitely panic among restaurant owners. “Unlike other cities, we are not facing a shortage yet. However, it is a situation we are closely monitoring, and we are waiting for any announcements or changes,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Saloni Bhatia
Saloni Bhatia is a journalist with over 15 years of experience in reporting and storytelling, with a strong focus on the Delhi government and political developments in the Capital. Over the years, she has closely tracked policy decisions, governance issues, and political shifts. She started off as an entertainment journalist but then moved to covering beats like crime and education. Her experience on the crime beat helped her develop an eye for detail and accuracy, while education reporting allowed her to explore policy impact on students, teachers and institutions. Outside the newsroom, she enjoys reading both fiction and non-fiction. She also has a keen interest in watching Bollywood films.Read More
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hemani Bhandari
Hemani Bhandari is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in New Delhi, where she reports on crime, policing, governance and social issues. With over a decade of experience in journalism, she specialises in combining on-ground reporting with evidence-based storytelling to examine the human impact of public policy, law enforcement and urban governance. Over the years, she has reported extensively on major developments in the capital, including crime investigations, civic challenges, protests, and issues affecting vulnerable communities. As a Special Correspondent, she focuses on producing exclusive investigations, enterprise stories and long-form features that go beyond daily news cycles. She has a keen interest in using public records, official data and field reporting to uncover systemic issues and present complex subjects in an accessible manner. A graduate of the Asian College of Journalism, Hemani believes in rigorous, ethical and evidence-based reporting. She is passionate about investigative journalism and continuously seeks to expand her skills in data journalism, open-source investigations and digital reporting techniques.Read More
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jasjeev Gandhiok
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.Read More
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Snehil Sinha
Snehil Sinha is an Assistant Editor with the Delhi Metro bureau of Hindustan Times, where she reports on politics, governance, public policy, urban infrastructure and transport, subjects that shape the everyday lives of millions in the national capital. Over a journalism career spanning 14 years, she has built a reputation for meticulous, data-driven reporting that combines on-ground perspectives with policy analysis. She began her career with The Indian Express before joining Hindustan Times, where she has reported extensively on civic administration and urban governance in Gurugram, Noida and now Delhi. Her reporting is distinguished by its clarity, depth and balance. Whether covering large-scale infrastructure projects, environmental challenges, transport reforms or government policy, she tries to translate complex administrative decisions into accessible, engaging stories without losing nuance. Her work reflects a strong command of public records, official data and field reporting, often connecting policy announcements with their impact on citizens. Her stories go beyond headlines to explain how governance decisions influence the city's growth, mobility and quality of life, making her work an important contribution to informed public discourse.Read More

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