Noida: Late Friday night outside a gas agency in Sector 4, the pavement had turned into a waiting arena. Empty LPG cylinders stood in a line like place markers, while bedsheets and newspapers spread across the concrete served as makeshift bedding. Others simply leaned against their cylinders. Families, some with children, slept outside the agency overnight, hoping that when the delivery truck arrived in the morning, their place in the queue would secure a refill.“We heard cylinders were being given on a first-come, first-served basis,” said Ajeet Singh, a resident of Harola who had camped outside the agency. “So I came at night hoping I could get one in the morning.”By 10am on Saturday, long lines had stretched outside another gas agency in Harola. Sumit, a resident of JJ Colony in Sector 9, who stood waiting under the sun with an empty cylinder, waved his booking booklet to show the date of his last refill. “My last cylinder was delivered on Feb 10,” he said. “I booked another one on March 11.”When no delivery arrived after several days, Sumit decided to join the queue. “I came here at 9 pm on Friday night,” he said. “I waited until morning for the truck.” Even after standing through the night until 7 am, he said, he was unable to get a cylinder.Across parts of Noida and Ghaziabad, queues outside gas agencies have grown longer over the last week as disruption in global LPG supply chains triggered by the war in West Asia has left gas agencies low on stocks. While officials maintain there is no shortage, for many households that depend on LPG cylinders for daily cooking, the wait has become part of a daily routine. Some residents say they have been returning to gas agencies every day for more than a week without success.Jamuna (36) who lives in Barola, said she booked a refill well in advance but has yet to receive it. “For the last week, I have been coming to the gas agency every day,” she said. “They told me the cylinder would be delivered to my home, but for the last three days I have not seen a single delivery vehicle.” With no cooking gas left, her family has been eating puffed rice, jaggery and fruits. “There is no way to cook.” The growing crowds have prompted the administration to deploy PAC personnel at a few gas agencies. Smriti Gautam, the district supply officer in Noida, said local police had been asked to assist agencies wherever necessary to manage queues and maintain order.Officials have also stepped up inspections to prevent hoarding or black marketing of LPG cylinders.During a surprise raid on Saturday, supply department officials seized six LPG cylinders from a stove shop in Ghaziabad. Acting on a tip-off, a team led by SDM Arun Kumar Dixit and district supply officer Amit Kumar Tiwari inspected a shop called Sattar Stove in the Maliwara area.Officials said they found three domestic cylinders of 14.2 kg each and three smaller, unauthorised cylinders of 3 kg at the shop. Four of the cylinders were filled, while two were empty.“The cylinders were seized and the shop owner was questioned,” Tiwari said.The shop owner, identified as Sadab, denied hoarding and told officials the cylinders were kept for demonstration purposes to show customers how stoves worked.Authorities said the explanation was being examined and further action would depend on the outcome of the inquiry. No case has been registered so far.Inspection teams also visited several gas agencies in the district, including Kamla Bharat Gas in Nehru Nagar, Khwaja Nawaz Sharif Gas at Crossings Republik and Mukul Bharat Gas in Khoda.Tiwari said supply at those outlets appeared normal. Officials also spoke with customers, some of whom reported that earlier server problems affecting cylinder bookings had now been resolved and deliveries were taking place after bookings were placed.Authorities have warned that hoarding or black marketing of domestic LPG cylinders will attract strict penalties under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The Act allows the govt to regulate the supply and distribution of essential commodities to ensure availability at fair prices. Violations, including hoarding or overpricing, can lead to prison terms ranging from three months to seven years, along with fines.Despite the long queues outside agencies, the district administration insisted there is no shortage of LPG cylinders in Ghaziabad. Officials have urged residents to place bookings online for home delivery and avoid crowding outside agencies. A control room has also been set up to handle complaints.
