'Vada pav not enough for kids': Panic over LPG in Mumbai, rates soar to ₹1.8k in black

LPG, currently worth its weight in gold, is in short supply due to the war in West Asia cutting supplies of the cooking gas that powers millions of households.

Under a blazing afternoon sun on Akurli Road in Kandivali, a line of empty LPG cylinders stands in silent formation, placeholders for anxious residents waiting for a refill truck to arrive. People hover nearby, unwilling to stray far. Hours pass. The truck never arrives.

LPG, currently worth its weight in gold, is in short supply due to the war in West Asia cutting supplies of the cooking gas that powers millions of households across the country. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)

LPG, currently worth its weight in gold, is in short supply due to the war in West Asia cutting supplies of the cooking gas that powers millions of households across the country. The shortage is fuelled by rumours driving panic buying even as an LPG black market thrives.

Single-cylinder households are worst hit, prompting many to take leave from work so that they can wait for an elusive refill. Queues were seen from Kandivali in the western suburbs to Dharavi and Bhandup in the eastern suburbs. While housing societies and residential complexes in large parts of Mumbai receive piped natural gas (PNG), older housing societies and lower socio economic areas are at the mercy of LPG suppliers.

In a slum colony in Malwani, Malad, Humale Yadavar, 44, had booked an LPG cylinder almost a month ago. On Thursday, Yadavar waited outside the LPG dealer’s office with his daughters for an almost an hour before managing to fetch one cylinder. “If this is the situation after booking so much in advance, imagine just how bad things are,” said Selvy Kaundar, 44.

Meanwhile, as citizens sweat it out, LPG dealers are making a quick buck. Dharavi resident Ataul Khan paid ₹1,800 for a cylinder on the black market, double the official rate. “People are finding it difficult to even book a cylinder. At times, a cylinder is shown as delivered, when none arrived,” said Khan. “Dealers are profiteering from this panic. We don’t even know if there actually is a shortage but there seems to be a problem everywhere.”

Sugandhi Francis, 73, a resident of Kanjurmarg, said there is a sudden increase in the booking gap, from 15 days to 25 days. “Booing and delivery timelines are stretched. In the absence of proper communication, people naturally assume there is a shortage and begin panic-buying,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Congress in the BMC has written to the mayor demanding a special session to discuss the LPG situation and its impact. Ashraf Azmi, group leader of the Congress in BMC, also wanted to check if the Disaster Management Act, 2005, could be invoked to ensure uninterrupted essential services such as schools, hospitals etc.