State governments on Wednesday launched crackdowns on hoarding and black marketing of LPG cylinders, as fears of supply shortages, triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia, caused long queues and clashes in several parts of the country. Meanwhile, some states have allowed commercial establishments to use traditional cooking methods to combat the commercial shortage of LPG. Track updates on the war between Iran and the United States
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered district officials to launch 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 Budh Nagar, to ensure normal sales.
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Long queues continued outside cylinder agencies in areas like Lakhimpur, Gorakhpur and Jhansi, with locals claiming that they did not receive cylinders for five to ten days despite advance bookings. Ajay Nishad in Gorakhpur said he had not received his LPG cylinder despite booking 10 days in advance, with around 400 people queuing outside the agency. “I’ve been here since three in the morning and I’m not sure if I’m going to get the cylinder,” he said.
Police on Wednesday arrested eight people in Bibiganj, Gorakhpur district, after a fight broke out between people who were queuing outside the gas agency.
“The police used light force to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control,” SP North Gyanendra Kumar said.
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Moreover, Ramendra Pratap Singh, Gorakhpur district supply officer, ordered the closure of two gas agencies over storage and distribution irregularities.
In Bihar, police issued an advisory calling for strict action against hoarders and measures to prevent a breakdown of law and order after reports of clashes at distribution and black marketing centres.
“You are requested to maintain surveillance in your areas around gas agencies, points of sale and petrol pumps and ensure adequate law and order measures are taken,” the advisory issued by the Additional Director General of Police (ADG) read.
Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa on Wednesday cautioned LPG refilling dealers against resorting to “extortion or black marketing” and warned of action.
Switching to traditional cooking methods
In Indore, the commercial hub of Madhya Pradesh, the district administration has allowed caterers to use traditional cooking methods like wood and cow dung cakes until regular commercial LPG supply resumes. Food Controller ML Maru said the decision was taken after a meeting with the city restaurant association. Local vendors at Indore’s famous Chowpatty chaat have turned to electrical appliances to keep the city’s food culture alive. The use of wood, charcoal, cow dung cakes, ovens and tandoors usually results in fines of up to $10,000. Other areas of the state have not yet decided on similar demands.
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The West Bengal government has allowed schools to use wood stoves for midday meals. Firewood was purchased on Wednesday morning to cook food for about 900 female students, Arup Dey, principal of Jalpaiguri Sadar Girls Primary School, told local media.
In Kota, a training hub in Rajasthan, many hostels have switched to wood- and coal-fired stoves amid a commercial shortage of LPG. Approximately two students stay in these hostels.
“There are no supplies since Tuesday. Hostel authorities are now making food on charcoal and wood-based stoves,” said Kota Youth Hostel Association president Naveen Mittal.
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation on Wednesday allowed the use of charcoal shula (traditional stoves) in the city. City Mayor Sulochana Das said the disruption in LPG supply has affected small businesses like restaurants, tea shops and dine-in services in Bhubaneswar.
Crematories closed, restaurants were hit
The Kerala government closed all gas-fired crematoriums due to unavailability of gas, and some popular restaurants closed their doors on Wednesday. Krishnakumar, co-owner of a popular vegetarian hotel in the state capital, said more than 50% of the city’s hotels remained closed since Tuesday. “It will be difficult to continue operations if the supply situation does not improve immediately,” he told reporters.
At the Barjabhima temple in Bengal’s East Midnapore district, authorities announced that prasad cooked for about 800 visitors a day will not be available from March 21 to April 30.
In Chennai, some popular restaurants did not open for breakfast on Wednesday due to shortage of cylinders. “Due to shortage of LPG supply, March 11, 2026 has been declared a holiday,” a notice outside a popular hotel said. Rush was also seen at local LPG distribution centers in several parts of Tamil Nadu although no major outage was reported.
In the Northeast, most distributors reported only a few days of inventories. A manager at M/s Belho Gas Service in Kohima said commercial demand for LPG is high but stocks are balanced.
Emergency preparedness, IRCTC advises food providers
Meanwhile, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has issued an advisory to catering license holders across its zones, directing them to adopt emergency measures to ensure uninterrupted food services to passengers at railway stations, and asking them to switch to alternative cooking methods in case of any LPG shortage.
