States crack down on LPG hoarding, black-marketing as Iran-US war fuels shortage fears

SJohn orley allen tate governments on wed launched crackdowns on hoarding and black-marketing of LPG cylinders as fears of render shortage, triggered by the on-going due west Asia conflict, caused long queues and clashes in several parts of the country. Meanwhile, certain states permitted commercial establishments to use traditional cooking methods to combat commercial LPG shortage. Track updates on Iran-US warUttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed district officials to conduct raids against hoarding or black-marketing of fuel and cooking gas, officials said on Wednesday. Enforcement teams and magistrates checked petrol pumps and LPG agencies, including those in Gautam Buddh Nagar, to ensure normal sales.Also read: Shocking video shows assassination attempt at Farooq Abdullah, Omar says details sketchy; attacker heldLong queues persisted outside cylinder agencies in districts such as Lakhimpur, Gorakhpur, and Jhansi, where locals claimed they had not received cylinders for five to 10 days despite advance bookings. Ajay Nishad in Gorakhpur said he had not received his LPG cylinder despite booking 10 days earlier, with about 400 people queued outside the agency. “I am here since 3 am and not sure whether I will get cylinder,” he said.Police on Wednesday detained eight people in Pipiganj, Gorakhpur district, after a scuffle broke out among people queued outside a gas agency.“The police used mild force to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control,” said SP North Gyanendra Kumar.Also read: Shocking video shows assassination attempt at Farooq Abdullah, Omar says details sketchy; attacker heldMoreover, Gorakhpur district supply officer Ramendra Pratap Singh ordered the sealing of two gas agencies for hoarding and irregularities in distribution.In Bihar, police issued an advisory calling for crackdowns on hoarders and measures to prevent law-and-order breakdowns after reports of fights at distribution centres and black-marketing.“It is requested to maintain surveillance in your respective districts around gas agencies and sale points, petrol pumps and ensure adequate measures for law and order,” said the advisory issued by additional director general of police (ADG).Karnataka food and civil supplies minister KH Muniyappa on Wednesday cautioned LPG refill dealers not to resort to “blackmailing or blackmarketing”, and warned of action.Switch to traditional cooking methodsIn Indore, Madhya Pradesh’s commercial hub, the district administration permitted caterers to use traditional cooking methods such as wood and cow dung cakes until regular commercial LPG supplies resumed. The decision was taken after a meeting with the city’s catering association, said food controller ML Maru. Local vendors at Indore’s famous Chaat Chowpatty turned to electric appliances to keep the city’s food culture alive. Use of wood, coal, cow dung cakes, furnaces, and tandoors normally invites fines up to ₹10,000. Other districts of the state are yet to decide on similar demands.Also read: 2 dead, local polls postponed, curfew extended: What's behind the unrest in Meghalaya?The West Bengal government permitted schools to use wood-fired stoves for mid-day meals. Arup Dey, headmaster of Jalpaiguri Sadar Primary Girls School, told local media that firewood was bought on Wednesday morning to cook for around 900 students.In Rajasthan’s coaching hub Kota, several hostels switched to wood- and coal-based stoves amid commercial LPG shortages. Close to two lakh students reside in these hostels.President of Kota hostels association Naveen Mittal said, “There is no supply since Tuesday. Hostel authorities are now making foods on coal-based and wood-based stoves.”The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation on Wednesday allowed the use of charcoal chullahs (traditional stoves) in the city. Mayor Sulochana Das said the disruption in LPG supplies has hit small businesses such as restaurants, tea shops, and tiffin services in Bhubaneswar.Crematoriums shut, eateries hitThe Kerala government closed all gas-run crematoriums due to gas unavailability, and some popular restaurants shut on Wednesday. Krishnakumar, co-owner of a well-known vegetarian hotel in the state capital, said more than 50%of city hotels had remained closed since Tuesday. “It will be difficult to continue operations if the supply situation does not improve immediately,” he told reporters.At Bargabhima temple in Bengal’s East Midnapore district, authorities announced cooked prasad for around 800 daily visitors would be unavailable from March 21 to April 30.In Chennai, some of the popular breakfast eating joints did not open on Wednesday due to the cylinder shortage. “Due to a lack of LPG supply, March 11, 2026 has been declared a holiday,” read a notice outside a popular hotel. Rush was also seen at domestic LPG distribution centres at several parts of Tamil Nadu though no major disruption was reported.In the Northeast, most distributors reported stocks for a few days. A manager at M/s Belho Gas Service in Kohima said commercial LPG demand was high but stocks were balanced.Prepare for contingency, IRCTC advises caterersMeanwhile, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has issued an advisory to catering licensees across its zones, directing them to adopt contingency measures to ensure uninterrupted food services to passengers at railway stations, asking them to switch to alternate cooking modes in case of any LPG shortage.