Nashik/Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Domestic LPG consumers across Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna districts are placing refill orders in panic, pushing the total pending deliveries to 1.7 lakh cylinders — far above the usual 67,000 daily bookings and deliveries. Bookings with distributors have suddenly surged to two to five times the normal volume, creating a backlog despite deliveries being ramped up by about 10%.Srirang Patil of Rajeev Nagar in Nashik, who usually receives his refill within a day, said he had been waiting since booking on March 7. “I have a double-cylinder connection and placed the order 11 days after switching to the reserve,” he said.In the first clear sign of rising panic in Sambhajinagar city, residents on Thursday formed long, winding queues outside LPG distribution agencies, desperate to secure cylinders amid tightening supplies. Across multiple outlets, scenes of chaos unfolded through the day. The residents complained of hours-long waits for cylinders they had booked days earlier. Tempers flared, arguments erupted, and in some cases minor scuffles broke out between frustrated customers and agency staff over delays and confusion in distribution.With crowds swelling and tensions rising, the Sambhajinagar district administration sought police deployment at several agencies. Police personnel were stationed outside outlets through the day to manage the rush and prevent any untoward incidents as the LPG crunch deepened.Many Sambhajinagar residents said they had been waiting for nearly six hours before finally getting their refill. Kaveri Sangole from Hanuman Nagar said she reached the agency around 10am but did not get her cylinder till 2.30pm. “I stood in the queue for hours before they finally handed it over,” she said.Another resident, Swati Shinde, said she had no choice but to endure a six-hour wait. “I cannot afford an extra cylinder, so I had to stand in line no matter how long it took,” she said.Several consumers in Nashik city too aren’t waiting for their reserve to deplete. “A cylinder lasts us around 45 days, but we didn’t want to take chances. I booked immediately on March 10 after the in-use cylinder got exhausted,” Sandhya Kale, a businesswoman from Nashik Road, said.Some consumers are unable even to book refills. Ramesh Bhalerao of Panchavati said, “I visited both the distributor’s office and godown after failing to book online but was denied entry and told to wait,” he said.A senior official from an Oil Marketing Company in the Nashik region said the combined average bookings of the three firms remained around 67,000 per day, with a similar number of deliveries — ensuring 24-hour turnaround under normal circumstances. “There is no shortage of domestic LPG. But bookings have now shot up to 1.7 lakh, though deliveries have increased to 74,000 per day,” the official said.The sudden spike has stretched delivery timelines. “The delivery time has increased from 24 hours to at least 150 hours (over six days) despite distributors working extra hours,” the official said.On allegations that distributors are refusing bookings, the officer clarified that all bookings must be made online with the respective firms. Distributors receive a schedule and can only execute assigned deliveries. “No spot booking or spot delivery is allowed. Any such delivery invites strict action. The product must be home delivered,” he said.The official expects the situation to stabilise soon. “Once panic booking subsides—which is a matter of days—the waiting period will reduce. We believe the picture should change in the next seven days.”In Sambhajinagar, official data indicated that domestic LPG stock might last barely two more days, fuelling anxiety among households over whether the supply chain will hold if disruptions continue. The outlook is even more grim for commercial and industrial users with district records showing commercial LPG stock almost drying up, hitting restaurants, hotels and other establishments.
