Vendors struggle amid gas supply uncertainty
Concerns over rising LPG prices and uncertainty about availability are surfacing across several parts of Delhi, with residents and small vendors growing anxious about cooking gas.
While authorities maintain there is no shortage of supply, many people say panic bookings and delayed deliveries have created confusion on the ground, leading to long waits at distribution centres and growing frustration among consumers.
The situation was visible on Thursday morning outside a gas agency in East Delhi's Geeta Colony, where a long queue of people carrying empty LPG cylinders stretched along the roadside. Some customers leaned against their cylinders while others stood quietly in line, staring at the closed office window of the distribution centre.
Many had arrived early hoping to get a refill, but as hours passed with little movement, expectation slowly gave way to impatience and worry.
At an Indian Oil Corporation Indane LPG distribution centre in Pandav Nagar near Akshardham Metro Station, a similar scene played out. Customers stood in long lines with booking slips in hand. Some discussed the latest price hike while others complained about delayed deliveries. Many said they had come personally to the agency because they were unsure when their booked cylinder would arrive.
Small roadside food vendors say the situation is particularly worrying because their livelihoods depend entirely on LPG cylinders. Manoj Kumar, a chowmein seller in Laxmi Nagar, stirred noodles over a burning stove as customers waited nearby. The 32-year-old migrant from Bihar said LPG costs directly affect his daily earnings.
"Everything in my business depends on gas," Manoj said. "If the cylinder price goes up or if supply gets delayed, we cannot cook food. Electricity cannot replace the gas stove." He said he usually keeps only one spare cylinder because buying more is expensive. If the refill does not arrive on time, he has no option but to close the cart for the day. "For us, it is daily income. One day without cooking means one day without earning," he added.
A few kilometres away near D Park in Pandav Nagar, the popular Mishra Tea Stall was busy with workers and local residents. Owner Rakesh Mishra said rising LPG prices are slowly affecting small food stalls. Mishra has run the tea stall for more than a decade, with his small stove operating constantly as he prepares tea and snacks.
"Gas cylinder prices are increasing again and again," he said while pouring tea into small glasses. "Milk, sugar and everything else are already costly. If this continues, we may have to increase the price of tea."
In Mayur Vihar Phase 1, Sitaram from Gorakhpur runs a momo stall in a busy market lane. Steam rises from a metal steamer placed over an LPG burner. He said he finishes one domestic cylinder every few days and has already begun paying higher rates for refills.
"Gas is the biggest cost for us," he said. "If the price keeps rising, it becomes very difficult to save anything from the business." Vendors cannot store multiple cylinders like restaurants, he added. "If supply gets delayed even for two or three days, we may have to stop working."
The anxiety is visible among ordinary residents as well. On the way to the Pandav Nagar distribution centre, a local pan shop owner shrugged when asked about the agency. "There is no use going there today," he said. "No one is giving gas." Outside the centre, customers stood beside their cylinders looking tired and disappointed, some saying they had waited for hours without clear information about distribution.
