Traffic jams trigger lPG scarcity

No truck loaded with cylinders has been supplied to the gas agencies in Garhwal region from the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) bottling plants for the past four days. There has been shortage of around 5,000 cylinders in Kumaon region too for the past four days. Kanwar Mela now going on and the highways of the State being over-clogged with traffic, trucks loaded with cylinders are facing difficulties to reach various destinations of Uttarakhand, spawning a grave crisis for the people across the State.  

IOC, Dehradun area manager VK Sundriyal said that four cylinder-laden trucks have been sent from Karnal IOC bottling plant for Garhwal region on Saturday. However, it is uncertain when these trucks would reach the designated places following the roads along the Kanwar Mela routes being overcrowded with kanwariyas.

Cylinders are being supplied to Augustmuni and Rudraprayag regions too of Garhwal region from Kashipur bottling plant. Around 15, 000 out of 20, 000 cylinders are being supplied from various IOC bottling plants in Kumaon region daily, the shortage being of  just 5,000, he said“We are in touch with the district administration officers to ensure that the trucks reach their destinations without much of a glitch,” he added. 

With no truck laden with cylinders coming to the gas agencies in Dehradun since Thursday from the IOC bottling plants, backlog in various gas agencies in the state capital is rising, admitted All India lPG Federation Uttarakhand Circle president and Valley Gas Agency owner Chaman lal.However, Dehradun district food and civil supply officer PS Pangti said that he had met IOC officers and directed them to improve the supply of cylinders from the bottling plants in Dehradun. Some trucks loaded with cylinders have reached the gas agency of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation limited (BPCl). This would ease things, sources said

Shortage of cylinders supplied from the oil company to the agencies is landing the customers in trouble. Customers are visiting their respective agencies to procure cooking gas, but they are returning disappointed with cooking gas not arriving at the agencies.Chaman lal said that due to road being clogged, no truck had reached Dehradun from the IOC bottling plants for the past three days. On Saturday too, things were the same.  At his agency, backlogs are of ten days and it may rise further if cylinders are not supplied from the IOC soon, he added.

Chaman lal said that he had been attending meetings of district officers and IOC officers being held since Thursday, but things have not improved yet. Around 12,000 to 15,000 cylinders are supplied from various IOC bottling plants in Dehradun daily. Ramesh, a customer who reached Sahkari Bazaar Gas Service, said that he had booked his cylinder a week ago, but he has not yet received it.

Dehradun DIG/SSP Pushpak Jyoti said, “Police forces will be deployed at agencies if law and order problems arise.”It should be mentioned here that IOC deputy manager (lPG Uttarakhand) Dhirendra Kumar had earlier said that as lakhs of people from various parts of the country were thronging Haridwar on the occasion of Kanwar Mela, the supply of gas cylinders from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) bottling plants to Dehradun was being adversely affected.  He had also said they had decided to send gas cylinders across the state from bottling plants based in Kashipur patting located in Uttar Pradesh and Karnal in Haryana. It seems, their plans have fallen through with the customers still bearing the brunt of the erratic supply, said an observer.