Gas cylinder panic grips city: Long queues at agencies despite no shortage

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Fearing a shortage of gas cylinders, some citizens have “panicked” and rushed to agencies in the morning to collect cylinders. Seeing these queues, other citizens are also joining in, causing the lines to grow. This situation was observed on Monday.

Customers are crowding agencies with empty cylinders. Meanwhile, gas agency owners claim there is no domestic gas shortage and that home-delivery of cylinders is ongoing. Despite this, the situation has caused confusion among the public. Our representatives visited agencies in Chikalthana, Garkheda, Jawahar Colony, N7, and Pandariba to assess the situation.

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Queues only between 9 am and 11 am

Many customers queued outside agencies with empty cylinders between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. In some places, there were 20 customers, while in others around 50. Due to the intense afternoon heat, some avoided visiting the agencies later in the day.

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Home delivery is available, No Need to Panic

According to agency staff, domestic cylinder supply is regular. However, fear is driving people to crowd the agencies. One agency owner in Chikalthana appealed to citizens not to rush unnecessarily and to book cylinders as usual for home delivery.

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Gas delivered within 2–7 days

For customers with one cylinder, booking is possible after 25 days; for those with two cylinders, after 30 days; rural customers can book after 45 days. Cylinders are delivered to homes within 2–7 days. Customers should wait for their booking and delivery code rather than visiting agencies directly. — Mangesh Asawar, Gas Agency Owner

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One delivery boy delivers 70 cylinders a day

Ramesh Jadhav, a delivery boy at a Garkheda-area agency, said that each agency has 15–20 loading rickshaws. One delivery boy delivers up to 70 cylinders between 8.30 am and 6 pm. Most customers expect cylinders to arrive by 9 am, which is not always possible.

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Why Are Customers Restless?

1. Customers rush to the agency if the cylinder does not arrive within two days after booking, which is made 25–30 days in advance.

2. Customers with only one cylinder go to the agency themselves without waiting for home delivery.

3. Fear that prolonged war will disrupt supply makes queues grow outside agencies.

4. Despite ample stock, customers do not trust it. When cylinders run empty, many come directly to the agency to collect them themselves.