Special Correspondent: Arun Sharma

New Delhi: A growing shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders across Delhi and the wider National Capital Region has triggered anxiety among thousands of households, with people lining up outside gas agencies and storage depots from early morning in the hope of securing a refill.


Women, elderly citizens and daily-wage workers have been seen waiting for hours in long queues, as cooking gas — now an essential household necessity — remains unavailable in many areas. For several families, the shortage has begun to affect the most basic routine of daily life: preparing food.


Hours in Queue, Yet No Cylinder
At many distribution centres, crowds start gathering before sunrise. Consumers collect tokens and wait throughout the day, yet many return home empty-handed by evening as cylinders run out before their turn arrives.
Residents claim that even after booking a refill several days in advance, deliveries are not reaching homes, forcing people to visit agencies repeatedly in search of a cylinder.

One woman waiting outside an agency said,
“There are children and elderly people at home. Our gas cylinder finished two days ago and we have been visiting the agency again and again. How are we supposed to cook food?”

Household Anxiety Mounts
For families that depend on daily earnings, the crisis has become even more serious. In several neighborhoods, households whose cylinders have run out are borrowing stoves from neighbors, while some have temporarily switched to traditional wood or coal-fired stoves.

Local residents say cooking gas is no longer a luxury but a fundamental requirement of modern urban life, and even a minor disruption in supply can immediately impact ordinary households.


Rumours Fuel Panic Buying
Reports of shortage have also triggered panic among consumers, with many attempting to secure a new cylinder even before the current one runs out. This rush has further increased the pressure on gas agencies and supply depots.
Authorities have appealed to residents to remain patient and avoid panic, but the ground situation reflects growing public concern about keeping kitchen fires burning.

Public Demand Immediate Action
Residents across Delhi–NCR are urging the government and gas companies to restore the supply chain at the earliest so that normal distribution can resume and families can return to their daily routines.
Until the situation stabilizes, thousands of households in the region continue to face a troubling question:
“If there is no cooking gas, how will meals be prepared at home?”