He said around 40% of industries had already reduced production due to non-availability of LPG, and the situation could worsen once existing stocks are exhausted, potentially affecting thousands of workers.“Industries are facing pressure due to container shortages and rising freight charges for exports. The LPG shortage has further aggravated the situation,” he said. Codissia urged authorities to allot at least 30,000 commercial LPG cylinders immediately to help industries meet their financial year-end production commitments.I Shagul Hameed, state president of the Tamil Nadu Engineering Grill Manufacturers Association, said nearly 25% of production in fabrication units had stopped within five days. Switching to electrical alternatives would cost about Rs 2.5 lakh per unit, which many small units cannot afford.According to him, Tamil Nadu has more than 40,000 fabrication units, including around 4,000 in Coimbatore, with nearly 1,000 small units dependent on LPG for heavy fabrication work.N Devakumar Nagarajan, president of the Chinnavedampatti Industrial Association, said powder coating and small manufacturing units in Chinnavedampatti, Saravanampatti, Udayampalayam and Vilankurichi were facing severe difficulties due to inadequate supply.He said nearly 70% of powder coating units depended on gas furnaces, and the price of a 19 kg LPG cylinder had increased from Rs 1,800 to Rs 4,500, forcing many industries to cut production by around 40%. Several units that earlier recorded Rs 1 crore in turnover are now earning only around ₹35 lakh, reflecting 15–30% losses.Industry bodies said continuous LPG supply was crucial for MSMEs, especially as many units are working to complete financial year-end production and dispatch commitments.
