Due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the global energy supply has come to a standstill, the heat of which has now reached India and there is an outcry in the entire country regarding the supply of LPG. There is a severe shortage of commercial LPG cylinders in major tourist cities and industrial areas of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. Hotels, restaurants, dhabas and catering businesses are on the verge of collapse.
In fact, India’s gas import system has collapsed due to the disruption of sea traffic due to the West Asia War, due to which the government has given priority to domestic cooking gas (LPG), CNG and piped cooking gas in the allocation of domestically produced natural gas. This decision has resulted in shortage of supply for hotels, restaurants and dhabas which use market priced commercial LPG cylinders.
FOHRA wrote a letter to the Union Minister
Amidst this serious crisis, Gajendra Thakur, President of Himachal Hotels and Restaurants Association (FOHHRA) has expressed his concern by writing a letter to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. He drew the minister’s attention to the irregular supply and increasing shortage of commercial LPG cylinders in the market.
He said in the letter that the government has given priority to domestic gas and CNG, but due to this, a deep crisis is looming on the hospitality sector.
He demanded that gas should also be allotted to this area on priority basis, so that the economy of the state dependent on tourism does not suffer further damage.
Bottling of commercial cylinders stopped
According to the news agency report, a gas agency owner based in Shimla said that companies are not bottling commercial cylinders, which may create a huge gap in demand and supply in the coming days. Many hotel owners have complained about shortage of cylinders. FOHHRA has demanded that the hospitality sector be given priority, so that services continue without interruption.
Apart from this, small-medium hotels and dhabas are most affected because they do not have alternative energy sources. If the crisis continues for a long time, operating costs will increase, services will be affected and employment will be affected.
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Crisis in Punjab and Haryana also
Similarly, a similar situation prevails in many cities of Punjab and Haryana. Arun, manager of a gas agency in Ambala, said that due to the huge shortage, they have completely stopped the booking and supply of commercial cylinders.
Hoshiarpur’s agency owner Megha Ohri hopes that the situation will improve once the supply from the bottling plant starts, but at the moment everything remains uncertain.
Gas agency owner Harjeet Cheema in Hoshiarpur, Punjab said that refilled cylinders are not coming from the bottling plants. The price of commercial cylinder there is Rs 1,980.50. Earlier some relief was given at the agency level, but now it has become difficult due to shortage.
Commercial cylinder stock out
Many hotels and dhabas in Ambala (Haryana) are out of stock. Distributors are not providing commercial cylinders for the last three days. Arun, a gas agency manager, said the supply has been stopped due to shortage. Dhaba owner Sagar has decided to close his establishment for a few days.
At the same time, according to Harjeet Cheema, who runs a gas agency in Hoshiarpur, filled cylinders are not coming from the bottling plant, due to which it has become impossible to supply to the customers. The price of a commercial cylinder in Hoshiarpur is currently Rs 1,980.50. Due to shortage, agencies are no longer able to provide discounts or concessions to customers.
Impact on wedding season also
On the other hand, hotel owners of Punjab fear that if this shortage continues, it will have a negative impact on the upcoming wedding season. People have booked hotels, marriage palaces and resorts for weddings and other functions.
On the other hand, Sanjeev Saini, who works in catering, said that due to shortage of commercial cylinders, it is becoming difficult to complete the booking. If the supply is not restored soon, confectioners and caterers will have no option but to stop work.
Long queues are being seen at gas distribution centers in many cities of Punjab and Haryana. Not only commercial, but the crowd of people taking domestic cylinders has also suddenly increased in the last few days.
Experts say that this situation is very fatal for tourism oriented states like Himachal, Punjab and Haryana. Hotels and restaurants cater to thousands of tourists and local residents. Shortage of gas is not only affecting the quality of food but is also disrupting services. If the government does not intervene soon and stabilize the commercial LPG supply chain, it will have a deep economic impact on the regional economy.
The main reason behind this crisis is the increasing war between Iran and America-Israel in West Asia. After Tehran’s counterattack, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has reduced significantly. India depends on this sea route for its gas imports (LNG and LPG). Due to short supply, the Central Government has given priority to securing the supply of LPG for domestic consumers, which has had a direct impact on the commercial market.
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