Mohali: The Tricity reeled under an LPG crunch on Wednesday, leaving households scrambling as booking systems crashed and supplies thinned out across Chandigarh, Panchkula, Mohali, Kharar and Zirakpur. From homemakers unable to book cylinders to long queues at LPG outlets, the disruption — linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict — left residents grappling with uncertainty over their next refill.Despite gas cylinder delivery trucks being spotted in several localities, consumers said they were unable to place fresh bookings, leaving households struggling to manage daily cooking needs.The situation appeared particularly severe in Chandigarh’s Ram Darbar area, where residents were seen standing in long queues in the hope of getting LPG cylinders. Many said they left their daily work and waited for hours, but their turn did not come due to limited availability. Consumers in Mohali, Zirakpur and Kharar also reported problems with both online and phone-based bookings. Several residents claimed that gas agencies were not responding to calls, further adding to the confusion. Manu Sharma, a resident of Jalvayu Tower Society in Sector 125, Mohali, said she tried calling the HP Gas agency for nearly three hours to book a cylinder, but no one answered the phone. She said the shortage was creating serious problems in managing cooking at home. Similarly, Preeti, a resident of Phase 1 in Mohali, said she tried to book an Indane gas cylinder online for the past 2 days but was unsuccessful despite repeated attempts. She said there was no clear information available from the agencies regarding the availability of cylinders, leaving consumers uncertain. Several other residents also expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of communication from gas agencies. Housewives said the uncertainty over gas availability was disrupting their daily household routine. Residents urged gas agencies and authorities to streamline the booking process and provide clear information regarding cylinder availability to prevent inconvenience to consumers. BOX Marriage palaces may resort to traditional cooking methods. The LPG shortage also began affecting marriage palaces and banquet halls across the tricity region, where large quantities of gas cylinders are required for preparing food during wedding functions. Dheeraj Kohli, a marriage palace owner, said that if the shortage continues, they may be forced to resort to primitive cooking methods. “It seems that we may have to start using earthen ‘chullahs’ and large-sized utensils with wood or coke as fuel to prepare food,” he said. BOX Commercial LPG sold at Rs 2,500–2,700 in market. The shortage reportedly led to black marketing of commercial LPG cylinders in some areas of the tricity. Small eatery owners claimed they were forced to purchase commercial cylinders at inflated prices ranging between Rs 2,500 and Rs 2,700 on Wednesday, against the official price of around Rs 1,700. Ram Babu Sinha, a dhaba operator in Chandigarh, said, “Today I bought a commercial cylinder for Rs 2,500. If the situation continues, we may have to shut our dhaba as it will become difficult to run the business.” BOX No shortage of LPG, petrol or diesel: DC Komal MittalMohali deputy commissioner Komal Mittal said the supply of petrol, diesel and domestic LPG cylinders in the district remains smooth and adequate. Mittal held a review meeting through video conferencing with sales officers of petroleum dealers, LPG distributors, dealer associations and officials of oil marketing companies to assess the supply situation. During the meeting, officials informed that there is no shortage of domestic LPG cylinders, petrol or diesel, and adequate stock is available. The supply through LPG outlets and petrol pumps is continuing regularly. The DC urged citizens not to pay attention to rumours regarding shortages and advised them against unnecessary stocking of LPG cylinders or petroleum products. She also appealed to residents to inform the district administration if they come across any illegal stocking or wrongful sale of LPG cylinders or petroleum products so that strict action can be taken. Officials also informed that the supply of commercial LPG cylinders has been restricted as per govt directives, although exemptions were provided for essential services such as educational institutions and medical facilities. A central-level committee comprising sales directors of the three oil marketing companies was also constituted to monitor and ensure regular supply of commercial LPG cylinders.
