Restaurants, hotels and small food businesses in Lucknow are staring at a cooking gas crisis after the refilling of commercial LPG cylinders was halted by oil and gas companies from Monday morning, sending supplies across the state into a tailspin, officials said.
The city consumes nearly 14,000 commercial LPG cylinders every day, distributed through around 125 agencies operating in the state capital, officials said. With refilling stopped, restaurants, street food vendors, catering services and tea stalls are already feeling the pinch.
Anil Agarwal of Anil Caterers said, “If this continues for long, then during the coming marriage season the caterers will have to face huge loss. The commercial cylinders are short and we are getting them after so much difficulty.”
Officials and industry sources have linked the disruption to rising tensions in the Gulf region involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have pushed up crude oil and gas prices globally. Since a large portion of India’s energy supplies originates from Gulf countries, the geopolitical developments have begun affecting imports and supply chains, officials said.
Jagdish Raj, president of the All India LPG Distribution Federation, UP Circle, said no invoice for commercial cylinders had been generated by any plant in the last 24 hours. “Agencies with old stock are currently supplying regular customers, though it remains uncertain how long those reserves will last,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Jagdish Raj, president of the All India LPG Distribution Federation, UP Circle, said no invoice for commercial cylinders had been generated by any plant in the last 24 hours. “Agencies with old stock are currently supplying regular customers, though it remains uncertain how long those reserves will last,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}For domestic consumers, officials said, bookings can now be made only from the registered phone number, with cylinders delivered only after OTP verification. Agencies can no longer push bookings into the system themselves, meaning not a single cylinder can be issued without a valid booking.
Raj further said that with the upcoming marriage season, the supply of commercial cylinders could become a major problem if the Gulf conflict continues.
Transport operators say rising fuel costs typically translate into higher freight charges. Raj Narayan, spokesperson of the Transport Nagar Traders Association, said existing contracts with companies ensure freight rates will not be increased until March 31.
Deliveries that earlier took roughly 15 days may now stretch to 25 days, depending on availability and refilling schedules, sources in the distribution network said. An oil and gas company official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the situation is being closely monitored and supply chains are expected to stabilise soon, but businesses have been asked to remain prepared for continued uncertainty in international energy markets.