Long lines and restless crowds continued to form outside dealerships and offices of LPG agencies across several parts of Delhi on Thursday.
There were impatient people who had tired of waiting for the gas they claimed they had booked several days ago, nervous people who had PNG connections but still wanted an LPG backup, and there were desperate people who said their kitchens had shut down because they’d run out of cooking gas.
Everyone wanted a cylinder. The panic and clamour was greater at gas agencies that served poorer neighbourhoods.
The disruption in global LPG supply chains due to the war in the Middle East has led to a crisis – driven, according to the central government, more by consumer anxiety and possible hoarding and panic-booking than by any actual supply shortages.
But the concerns expressed by those in the queues outside LPG dealerships appeared real.
At Dikshit Gas Seva, an Indane dealership in East Delhi’s Khichripur, 23-year-old Vikas refused to leave like many others – and after a long,
heated argument, managed to
get a cylinder.
“I had booked online a week ago. It should have been delivered to my house on Monday. I started to come here every day, and on the fourth day of visits, I finally got my cylinder,” he said.
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Thirty-five-year-old Seema complained she hadn’t even been able to book her cylinder online. “I have also been trying to call the dealership for the last two days. I have now come in person, but I am being told there is no way other than to book online,” she said.
An official at the dealership who gave his name as Satish claimed daily supply of gas cylinders had “come down to half” from the day after Holi, which was celebrated on March 4.
Another official, who gave his name as Vinay Kumar, said: “The number of cylinders has reduced. There are 2,500 bookings pending, and we do not have enough cylinders.”
Kumar said that the number of LPG cylinders reaching the centre every day had come down from around 600 on average to only around 360. “Meanwhile, as the number of bookings have piled up, our server has stopped responding,” he said.
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The Delhi government, meanwhile, assured that the supply of LPG, petrol, diesel, and PNG was normal across the NCR, and that there were no shortages of fuel.
At a dealership in Trilokpuri, 42-year-old Shabana said her booking had been confirmed on March 5. “I waited for six days for a cylinder and then came to the agency, but I was told to come back another day,” she said.
At a Bharat Petroleum office in East Delhi’s Shakarpur, there was a line for the renewal of connections. “We are here to get our KYC done so we can get a new connection,” said Neha (32), a resident of Laxmi Nagar. “Who knows when the PNG pipeline will run dry? Everything is so uncertain.”
The situation at dealerships in more affluent South Delhi colonies was less chaotic. Unlike in areas of East Delhi, gas agencies in Green Park and Moti Bagh did not have long queues.
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Jai Bhagwan Sharma, the owner of Bharat Gas Agency in Moti Bagh said: “We cater to around 6,000 customers in the area. We get 115 bookings every day on average. But today, we have had 315 bookings within a few hours. It is because people are panicking.”
Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in the Noida bureau. She primarily covers crime, health, and environmental issues, as well as human-interest features across Noida, Ghaziabad, and Western Uttar Pradesh.
Professional Profile
Education: She is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai.
Core Beat: Her work focuses on the administrative and social challenges of the NCR's satellite cities. She is known for her detailed reporting on civic infrastructure (like the Noida International Airport), environmental violations, and high-profile criminal investigations.
Personal Interests: Outside of reporting, she is an avid reader of fiction (citing The Thursday Murder Club and Yellowface as recent favorites) and a gardening enthusiast.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Neetika’s recent reportage has been dominated by winter-related crises in the NCR and significant criminal legalities:
1. Environment & Public Safety
"Greater Noida Authority slaps fines on firms for violating GRAP IV norms" (Dec 21, 2025): Reporting on heavy penalties imposed on major developers like NBCC for flouting anti-pollution construction bans.
"Fatal pile-up on Yamuna Expressway: Fog, high speed emerge as key safety risks" (Dec 17, 2025): A major report on a 15-vehicle collision caused by dense fog that killed 17 people.
"At Chilla, Kalindi, DND, many fined Rs 20,000 for non-compliance to Delhi's BS-VI rule" (Dec 19, 2025): On-the-ground reporting from the borders where Noida police penalize non-compliant vehicles entering the capital.
"Driving in Noida amid fog? New speed limits in effect till Feb 15" (Dec 13, 2025): Detailing the seasonal traffic restrictions aimed at preventing highway accidents.
2. Crime & Legal Developments
"'Have you ever heard of a murder case being withdrawn?': Court in Akhlaq lynching case" (Dec 12, 2025): Covering a critical courtroom hearing where the court questioned the UP government's petition to withdraw charges against the accused.
"After losing money in stock market, bank employee in Ghaziabad withdraws Rs 64 lakh from customers' accounts" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative piece on internal bank fraud and the risks of modern digital embezzlement.
"Woman shot dead by partner in Noida: Three days on, accused still on the run" (Dec 2, 2025): Tracking a high-profile domestic violence and murder case in Central Noida.
3. Human Interest & Features
"'Had tears in my eyes': Army men walk bride down the aisle 20 years after father died in terror attack" (Dec 2, 2025): A moving story about soldiers from a Punjab Grenadiers unit fulfilling a father's duty for his daughter.
"How a Zepto delivery man heard a cry — and saved two kids dumped in Noida drain" (Dec 2025): A viral human-interest story highlighting individual heroism in the city.
Signature Style
Neetika is recognized for her meticulous follow-up on local tragedies. Whether it is a massive pile-up on the Yamuna Expressway or the ongoing construction of the Jewar (Noida) Airport, she focuses on systemic lapses and the safety of commuters. Her crime reporting often explores the psychological motives behind "crimes of passion" and the rising trend of financial cyber-fraud in the Ghaziabad-Noida belt. ... Read More
