Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
A widening gap between demand and supply has triggered chaos in the city’s domestic gas distribution. While supply capacity stands at around 10,000 cylinders per day in the city (20,130 across the district), demand has surged to nearly 60,000 cylinders daily five times the normal level amid a two-week disruption caused by the Gulf conflict.
Long queues persist outside gas agencies as bookings have skyrocketed. Despite online booking, there is no certainty on delivery timelines, leading to growing public frustration. The city has 11.76 lakh LPG consumers 2.83 lakh with Indian Oil, 4.10 lakh with Indane, and 4.83 lakh with BPCL.
Fears of a shortage had emerged due to reduced supply of the required 290 tonnes of gas for refilling. A review meeting was held on March 20 in the presence of divisional commissioner Jitendra Papalkar and collector Dilip Swami. However, the supply department claimed the situation remains under control. There are 77 gas agencies in the district (20 in the city), each receiving around 3,000 bookings daily double the normal demand. While rural distribution remains smooth, city agencies continue to face heavy rush. Current policy allows refill only 25 days after the previous cylinder.
Decision likely on commercial gas
A decision on resuming commercial gas supply is expected on Monday, with a possibility of restoring up to 50% supply. Commercial gas supply to hotels, industries, and establishments has remained shut since March 5. District supply officer Pravin Phulari said the decision will be taken at the government level.