Nagpur: The ongoing Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) shortage in the city has escalated into a major public concern, with gas agencies halting the release of new domestic and commercial connections amid a sharp fall in supply. The decision, taken under instructions from oil companies, comes as distributors struggle to cope with a nearly 50 per cent drop in daily cylinder allocations.
According to local distributors, the situation on the ground has become increasingly fragile, with thousands of pending refill requests already overwhelming the system. Agencies say they are barely able to meet the needs of existing consumers, leaving no scope for onboarding new customers. “We are receiving less than half of our usual supply. When we cannot serve long-time consumers on time, taking new connections is simply not feasible,” said a distributor, highlighting the growing frustration among citizens.
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Jaiprakash Tiwari, President of the Maharashtra LPG Dealers Association, confirmed that the freeze has been implemented by Oil Marketing Companies following the worsening supply situation. He stressed that the crisis has exposed a stark gap between official claims of adequate stock and the reality faced by consumers. “If supplies are sufficient, why are people waiting 40 to 50 days for a refill?” he questioned, adding that genuine consumers are bearing the brunt of the disruption.
The impact has been particularly severe on new residents and families seeking fresh connections. Many migrants and newly settled households have been left without access to cooking gas, forcing them to depend on costly alternatives. A recently married couple shared their ordeal, saying they were unable to secure a new connection after relocating to Nagpur and are now relying on outside food and temporary cooking arrangements.
Before the crisis, nearly 1,500 new LPG connections were being issued every month in the city. However, supply disruptions—reportedly linked to geopolitical tensions in West Asia—have forced agencies to suspend new enrollments altogether.
Residents across the city have expressed growing distress over the lack of alternatives and prolonged delays. Many say the system appears to be under severe strain, with no clear timeline for normalcy. The situation is further aggravated by a drastic fall in commercial cylinder supply, which has dropped from around 1,200 cylinders per day to just about 120.
With domestic consumers waiting up to 50 days for refills and new applicants turned away, the LPG shortage is now affecting daily life in a fundamental way, raising serious concerns about supply management and the need for urgent intervention by authorities.
