Dhanbad LPG Shortage Fears: Residents Queue Amid West Asia Tensions, Agencies Assure Stock

Dhanbad: Amid war-induced tensions in West Asia, rumours of a possible LPG shortage have triggered anxiety among residents of Dhanbad notwithstanding assurances from the gas agencies of availability of sufficient LPG stocks.Even before the official opening of the gas godowns, long queues were seen outside several LPG distribution centres as people attempt to secure cylinders in advance fearing a possible disruption in supply.According to official data, Dhanbad district has around 6.40 lakh LPG consumers who receive their cylinder supply through 31 gas agencies. Of these, 17 agencies belong to Indian Oil, while seven each are operated by Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum.

Under normal circumstances, around 16,000 LPG cylinders are delivered daily across the district. Following the spread of rumours regarding a potential shortage, the number of deliveries has increased significantly to nearly 20,000 cylinders per day.Several consumers admitted that fear of an international crisis affecting fuel supplies had prompted them to book cylinders earlier than usual. Kumud Prasad, a resident who arrived at an agency to collect a cylinder, said that many people were trying to secure LPG in advance due to the uncertain global situation.

Meanwhile, some consumers also faced inconvenience due to server issues at certain gas agencies, which slowed down the booking and delivery process.Gas agency operator Anand Dubey reassured consumers that LPG supply remains stable in the district. He added that cylinders are being delivered to households as usual once bookings are made. Dubey appealed to residents to remain calm and book LPG only according to their actual needs.Authorities and distributors have also urged the public to ignore rumours and avoid panic buying, stressing that there is no disruption in LPG supply in Dhanbad at present.