LPG Crisis Intensifies in Noida and Ghaziabad Amid Global Supply Chain Disruptions
Long queues have formed outside numerous LPG dealers' offices in Noida and Ghaziabad, as cylinder prices in the black market have surged to three times their normal rates. This situation stems from a curtailment of commercial cooking gas supplies earlier this week, driven by global gas and oil supply chain disruptions fomented by the ongoing West Asia conflict.
Technical Glitches Worsen the Rush
The rush was further fueled on Wednesday when online gas booking through the IVRS helpline and other digital platforms stopped working due to a technical snag in several parts of the region. This prompted many domestic consumers to visit dealers' offices to place refill requests in person.
Ghaziabad district supply officer Amit Tiwari explained to TOI that the sudden disruption in bookings was due to a temporary server problem affecting the systems of oil marketing companies. "There is a server issue right now. It should be resolved soon," Tiwari said, adding that bookings were expected to resume once the systems were restored.
District officials maintained that the technical glitch had affected booking systems mainly during the morning and had largely been resolved by afternoon. However, several residents reported that services remained unavailable in many areas until late evening.
Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Raj Nagar Extension, shared his frustration: "I tried calling the booking helpline several times but could not get through. If the cylinder runs out before the next one arrives, it will become difficult to manage daily cooking." He waited outside a gas agency for several hours.
Similar Scenes Across the Region
Similar scenes were observed at outlets in Noida sectors 12 and 57. Shalini Verma, a resident of Sector 62, said she had been trying to book a refill since morning but could not connect through phone or digital platforms. She eventually traveled to an LPG agency in Sector 57 to submit an offline request.
"Even the agency phone numbers were not responding, so I came here," she said, standing in a queue of more than a dozen customers.
The disruption also highlighted challenges for those reliant on others to navigate digital systems. Neha Arora, a resident of Indirapuram, noted: "My house help was worried because her booking was not processed and she does not know how to use the mobile app. She asked me to help her, but the server was down everywhere."
Government Directives and Extended Waiting Periods
On Monday, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas directed oil companies to prioritize LPG supplies for domestic households and essential non-domestic sectors. It also extended the minimum waiting period for booking a domestic LPG refill to 25 days from 21.
District authorities later clarified that supplies to households were continuing normally, with constraints largely limited to a small section of commercial establishments.
A gas agency operator in Noida explained that deliveries were continuing for customers whose previous cylinder had been supplied at least 25 days earlier and who had successfully placed a booking. However, the longer waiting period has contributed to the rush at agency offices. "People are used to booking today and receiving a cylinder the next day. Now that is not happening, so they are getting anxious," the operator said.
Authorities Step Up Monitoring to Prevent Hoarding
Authorities have intensified monitoring to prevent hoarding and black marketing of fuel. Ghaziabad DM Ravindra Mander announced that four district-level teams have been formed to keep a watch on LPG cylinders as well as petrol and diesel sales.
"If any dealer is found hoarding LPG cylinders or emptying petrol stock, strict action will be taken," he said, adding that there was no shortage of fuel or domestic LPG cylinders in the district.
His counterpart in Noida, Medha Roopam, held a meeting with LPG distributors and fuel retailers to review supply arrangements and prevent disruption for consumers.
Officials assured the district administration that the region currently has adequate stocks of domestic LPG cylinders, as well as sufficient petrol and diesel supplies, and urged residents not to panic.
Roopam directed petrol pump owners and LPG distributors to keep CCTV cameras operational, maintain proper sales records, and monitor staff and repeat buyers to prevent irregularities.
District supply officer Smriti Gautam urged residents to book refills through their registered mobile numbers or authorized mobile applications of their LPG providers and to obtain cylinders only from approved distributors. She also appealed to the public not to believe rumors or misleading messages circulating on social media.
