Nagpur LPG Crisis Enters Second Day as Online Booking System Collapse Triggers Panic
Chaotic scenes continued for the second consecutive day across Nagpur on Friday as desperate consumers formed massive queues outside gas agency offices, triggered by a complete breakdown of the LPG online booking system. The situation has escalated into what many are calling a full-blown LPG crisis, with no immediate resolution in sight.
Early Morning Queues and Growing Frustration
Long, winding queues were reported from multiple localities across the city, with some consumers arriving as early as 4am in hopes of securing LPG refill cylinders. The desperation was palpable as many returned empty-handed after waiting for hours, their frustration mounting with each passing hour of system failure.
"I was unable to book a cylinder for two days," said Ismail Sheikh, who had been waiting at the Tajbagh godown since 5am. "I only have a single cylinder, which is empty. Now, during our festive season, how are we going to cook food for our family?"
System Failure and Lack of Communication
The core issue appears to be a complete collapse of the online booking system maintained by oil marketing companies (OMCs). Gas agency distributors have squarely blamed the OMCs for the continued system failure, which has triggered widespread panic among consumers.
Gas agency distributor Pratik Jaiswal expressed his frustration: "No official from OMCs is responding regarding the system failure. Earlier, we used to be able to put up bookings for customers from our offices, which also stopped. Now it is a safety issue for us, but no one seems bothered."
Safety Concerns Force Drastic Measures
The tense situation has forced some distributors to take extreme measures. In the Tajbagh area, one distributor shifted his entire godown to Hudkeshwar, nearly 5 kilometers away, citing serious safety concerns. This sudden relocation further infuriated consumers who had been waiting in long queues outside the original location.
Gas distributor Mahendra Gawai explained the difficult decision: "I also contacted the police for protection but did not receive any response, so I decided to shift the godown, as brawls also happened earlier. A distributor is supposed to deliver the cylinder at home and should not be concerned about where his godown is."
Underlying Issues and Potential Escalation
Gawai highlighted the fundamental problem driving the crisis: "The main issue is that people are not able to book cylinders, which is making them anxious and can further escalate the situation. The oil companies must address the issue otherwise the chaos will continue."
He confirmed that people had been queuing up since 4am, indicating the severity of consumer desperation. With the booking system still non-functional and panic continuing to rise, the crisis shows little sign of easing in the immediate future.
Municipal Corporation Clarifies Crematorium Situation
In a related development, Nagpur Municipal Corporation's chief sanitation officer Gajendra Mahalle clarified that there is currently no LPG crisis affecting the city's crematoriums. All three LPG-fuelled crematoriums at Ambazari Ghat, Sahakar Nagar, and Mokshadham are reportedly functioning normally with adequate LPG supplies.
The contrast between the consumer crisis and the stable crematorium situation has only added to public frustration, with many questioning why domestic consumers are facing such severe difficulties while institutional supplies remain unaffected.
