Noida: Long queues were seen outside LPG distribution agencies in Noida and Ghaziabad on Thursday despite repeated assurances from district administrations that there was no shortage of domestic cooking gas.Residents began lining up as early as 7am, many carrying empty cylinders after home deliveries failed to arrive days after booking. At a Sector 63 agency in Noida, dozens waited for hours in the hope of getting their cylinders exchanged for refilled ones.Rajesh Kumar, who lives in Bahlolpur village, said he was waiting outside the agency since morning with an empty cylinder. “I booked my refill almost a week ago, but it has still not been delivered. Our gas ran out at home, so I had to come to the agency.”Similar scenes unfolded in Ghaziabad. Outside an LPG outlet in Crossings Republik, a long queue of residents formed along the street. At another agency in Patel Nagar, customers arrived with empty cylinders only to find a notice at the entrance saying supplies had run out.Rafiq, a resident of Bamheta who was waiting in line at Crossings Republik, said he had been unable to make a booking online. “The system is not accepting my mobile number, and the website isn’t working,” he said. “I came here hoping they would exchange my cylinder.”Sunita Devi, who visited the Patel Nagar agency, said she waited nearly an hour before being turned away. “By the time I reached the gate, they put up a notice saying there were no cylinders,” she said. “Now I have to go home without a refill, and I still cannot book one online.” Officials said the crowds were largely driven by panic rather than a genuine shortage.Noida district supply officer Smriti Gautam said most residents who queued at agencies did not have valid bookings. “Consumers who have made bookings do not need to stand in queues,” she said. “Their cylinders will be delivered to their homes. We have not received complaints from people with confirmed bookings and did not receive a cylinder.”According to Gautam, most households are receiving cylinders within three days of booking, instead of the usual delivery within 24 hours. She added that commercial cylinders for hospitals and educational institutions were also being supplied regularly.To prevent hoarding and black marketing, the Centre has introduced a mandatory gap between bookings — 25 days in urban areas and 45 days in rural regions. Joint inspection teams from the police and supply department, led by sub-divisional magistrates, have been tasked with monitoring gas agencies and taking action against illegal storage or rumour-mongering.Officials acknowledged that technical issues with LPG booking systems had worsened the situation. Gautam said the national booking server had slowed due to heavy demand. “We have advised residents to try booking at night when server traffic is lower,” she said. The district administration has also set up a control room to handle complaints related to gas supply.In Ghaziabad, DM Ravindra Mander also attributed the surge in bookings to rumours circulating among residents. “Many consumers are trying to book cylinders at the same time, which has increased the load on booking servers and caused temporary technical glitches,” he said, adding that the issue was likely to be resolved within one or two days.Authorities urged residents not to crowd distribution centres. “Consumers do not need to visit gas agencies after making a booking,” Mander said. “As usual, cylinders will be delivered directly to their homes.”Officials said the region has sufficient supply capacity. Gautam Buddha Nagar district has 64 LPG agencies serving about 10 lakh domestic consumers, while Ghaziabad has 95 agencies catering to nearly 12 lakh households. Both districts also have a large base of piped natural gas users — about four lakh domestic PNG connections in Noida and 3.5 lakh in Ghaziabad — and officials said there has been no disruption in piped gas supply.
