13/03/2026
Cooking Gas Crisis in India: Common Man Struggles Again
India is witnessing a growing LPG gas cylinder crisis, creating difficulties for households, restaurants, and street vendors. Across many cities, people are standing in long queues at gas agencies, while eateries and food stalls are forced to reduce operations due to a shortage of cooking gas.
Street Food and Small Businesses Hit Hard
The shortage has begun affecting India’s famous street-food culture. Vendors selling snacks like vada pav, samosa, and bhajiya are struggling to cook because LPG cylinders are difficult to obtain. Many small food stalls have temporarily shut down.
In some cities, hundreds of eateries have even suspended operations as commercial LPG cylinders became unavailable or too expensive to purchase.
For daily wage workers and small vendors, this crisis means loss of income and livelihood, as cooking gas is essential for their business.
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Reminds People of Lockdown and Demonetisation
The present LPG crisis is reminding many Indians of earlier hardships.
During the COVID-19 Lockdown (2020)
When the country went into lockdown:
Supply chains were disrupted.
Gas cylinder deliveries were delayed.
Families stayed home and used more LPG for cooking.
Many households struggled to book cylinders online, leading to long waiting times.
During Demonetisation (2016)
After high-value currency notes were banned:
People lacked cash to pay for gas cylinders.
Long lines appeared at banks and gas agencies.
Small vendors and tea stalls struggled to operate.
Just like those times, today’s gas shortage again shows that ordinary citizens suffer the most during national disruptions.
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Why LPG Crisis Happens
Several reasons are contributing to the problem:
1. Dependence on imports
India imports about two-thirds of its LPG requirement, mostly from the Middle East, making supplies vulnerable to global conflicts or shipping disruptions.