Delhi: For Ameena Bibi and her daughter Sara, the situation feels like a triple curse. They have been waiting for almost two hours in the 35-degree heat outside a gas agency near Delhi Gate. Ameena, who suffers from severe knee pain, has come here for the second time from her home in Daryaganj — yesterday’s visit was futile and today seems no different.
“I can’t walk properly and in this heat, how many rounds am I supposed to make?” she said, lowering herself slowly onto the raised edge of the footpath. “Ramzan is going on and my cylinder is almost over. I’m afraid that with this panic around buying, I might not get a cylinder this time.”
Her daughter, Sara, added that even booking online has become impossible. “The online booking server is not working. I have tried repeatedly to file a complaint but it doesn’t get lodged.”
The two have been waiting outside Jaspreet Gas Service near Delhi gate. The shop itself has not opened yet but the scene outside suggests anything but closure. An employee sits at a distance taking down phone numbers while a line of more than 20 people stretches down the pavement.
“There are at least 400 people who have come here since morning,” one employee said.
Panic and confusion
The ongoing tensions in West Asia have triggered fears of an LPG supply disruption in India. Even before any visible shortage has appeared, behaviour on the ground has already begun to change.
The panic is real — and so is the confusion. Employees from the agency stand amid clusters of anxious residents waiting for cylinders. People argue with staff members, demanding answers.
Mohammad Alam, a resident of Sitaram Bazar, said he had been standing outside the agency for over an hour. “Our cylinder is already over. I booked it earlier and gave them my number. This is the most crowd I have ever seen here,” he said. “They are saying they only have 40 cylinders to distribute today. You have to bring your empty cylinder and only then will they give you a refill.”
Earlier, Alam said, booking a cylinder over the phone was straightforward. “Now even that is not happening. They say the shop will open at 4 pm and only then we will know if we will get the cylinder. They are not giving booking slips, only taking down our numbers.” His pregnant wife stands in the queue while he tries to speak to the employees.
“They are making a fool of us. They are not taking bookings, not doing KYC, just writing down phone numbers. Are we mad? Do we not know how this system works?” another man in the crowd said.
Employees at the agency, however, said the panic is largely driven by fear rather than actual shortages. “At least 400 people came yesterday, and today there will be more,” one employee said. “Phone bookings are not happening because the server is down. People are panicking, but everyone who brings their empty cylinder will get one. We have more than 300 cylinders left in the godown.”
Abdul Wajid, who works with the agency, said he has been writing down names since morning. “I have written 200 names already today. My hands are aching. Four or five of us are doing the same”.
“Since the war started, people have been panicking.”
Also read: India’s risks in the Iran conflict go way beyond oil
Looking for alternatives
For Vijay Kumar, a nearly 70 year old resident of Daryaganj, the situation is unlike anything he has seen in his 30 years in the neighbourhood. “I booked my cylinder four days ago and still haven’t got the booking slip,” he said. “There are people who booked as early as March 4 who haven’t received deliveries.”
According to Kumar, agencies have slowed down home deliveries, forcing customers to collect cylinders themselves. “They are selling cylinders in black for Rs 2,500. Maybe I should buy one of those,” he said, half-jokingly.
This is the second agency he has visited today. The first, D.P. Thakore & Co on Dayanand Marg, was in a similar situation. When the shop announced a lunch break, the waiting crowd slowly dispersed in frustration.
Kapil, a shopkeeper in the area, said this is the first time he had personally visited an agency to check on a booking. “My booking was made eight days ago and still the cylinder hasn’t been delivered,” he said. His current cylinder is still working, but he said he cannot risk waiting. “My children have exams and festivals are coming up. I have a 5-year-old daughter. How will I heat milk for her?” he said. “I am not a bad father so I don’t want to wait for the very last moment.”
The panic is not limited to gas agencies. Across social media platforms, residents are posting videos and photos showing long queues outside LPG agencies across Delhi, many with people standing in line holding empty cylinders. Several users claim agencies have stopped accepting bookings altogether.
The ripple effects are now visible elsewhere too. Schools, colleges and institutions across Delhi have begun warning of disruptions to canteen services. In a message to parents, The Shri Ram School’s head of administration, KA Girija, said the school caterer was unable to procure sufficient LPG to run lunch and snack programmes and currently had only two days of stock left. If the situation does not improve, the school may not be able to provide snacks and lunch from Monday, the message said. The canteen at the Delhi High Court has also removed several main course items from its menu due to LPG shortages.
Another visible effect has been a surge in the sale of induction cooktops and other electric cooking appliances. Retailers across the country report unusually high demand for induction stoves and electric cookers, with some stores running out of stock. Quick commerce platforms such as Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart have also seen these appliances sell out rapidly as households look for alternatives to LPG.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)