By Admin 
Commercial LPG Crisis in India: The effect of increasing tension in the Middle East is now visible in India also. Even though the government has talked about ensuring the supply of oil and gas amid the war related to Iran, people are facing problems due to shortage of LPG in many parts of the country. According to hospitality body AHAR (Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association), about 20 percent of the restaurants in the financial capital Mumbai have been closed due to reduced supply of LPG cylinders.
The organization says that if this situation continues, then about 50 percent of the food shops may be closed in the next two-three days. Restaurant owners say that they are facing a lot of difficulties in getting commercial LPG cylinders for the last two days.
Shortage increased due to Iran war
Similar problems are also being faced in cities like Bengaluru and Chennai. The organization says that if the gas supply does not normalize soon, the situation here too may become serious. Hotel owners in Bengaluru have indicated that they may have to temporarily close their operations if commercial LPG supply is disrupted, as their work is completely dependent on LPG.
Even in Chandigarh, the situation regarding LPG supply is continuously worsening. A large number of commercial gas cylinders are stored in the warehouse of Indane Gas Agency. According to the employees, regular supply of commercial cylinders has not been available for the last four days, due to which the limited cylinders coming are getting accumulated in the warehouse itself.
According to Sonu, an employee working in the warehouse, hotel and restaurant operators are continuously inquiring about the cylinders, but at present the cylinders are not available. Apart from this, the supply of domestic gas has also been affected and employees say that the supply of domestic LPG has reduced to almost half. Due to this situation, the concern of people associated with hotels, restaurants and food business in the city has increased, because their operations completely depend on the availability of gas cylinders.
long queues outside the warehouse
Even in Bhopal, the effect of gas shortage amid the war related to Iran is clearly visible. Here, the problems of common people have increased due to stoppage of supply of commercial LPG cylinders and making a gap of 25 days mandatory between booking of domestic cylinders. The situation is such that long queues of people have started forming outside the warehouses of gas agencies. Many people are worried about the availability of cylinders.
Common consumers say that even though the government is talking about the situation being normal, cylinders are not easily available at the ground level and the supply of commercial cylinders has been suddenly stopped. People also allege that taking advantage of the current situation, some gas agencies are forcing consumers to wait citing shortage of cylinders. This has created an atmosphere of confusion and worry regarding gas supply in the city.
government in action
On the other hand, the Central Government is keeping an eye on the situation and is taking steps to ensure adequate availability of oil and gas. The government has instructed oil refineries to increase LPG production so that there is no shortage in supply. At present the priority of the government is to maintain the availability of domestic LPG.
According to government officials, the purpose of this step is to avoid disruption of essential services like restaurants, hospitals and food supply chains. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has indicated that the war related to Iran may end soon. Besides, G7 countries have also decided to use strategic oil reserves. After these announcements, there has been some softening in the prices of Crude Oil in the global market.
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