‘I bought one for Rs 2,300… the rate is Rs 1,800’: LPG crisis forces Gurgaon eateries to buy cylinders ‘in black’
In the wake of the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the working class is ending up panic-buying and booking domestic LPG cylinders.
Even as Sunil Sareen of a high-rise in Gurgaon’s Sector 102 said he received an LPG cylinder just a day after he placed the order, and Kundan Lal Sharma of a residential society in Sector 21 agreed, the situation is not the same everywhere in the Millennium City.
In the wake of the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the working class is ending up panic-buying and booking domestic LPG cylinders. Small eateries said they are being forced to either buy commercial cylinders in black or downsize menus and operational time. The crisis has also pushed the demand and price of electric alternatives higher.
At Santosh Gas Agency in Sarhaul, near Udyog Vihar Phase 4, customers queued up on Thursday for not just getting bookings done, but with questions related to the crisis, said its proprietor. “People are arriving at agencies out of panic and looking to buy and book multiple cylinders at once. There are some 60 dealers in Gurgaon and all are facing this issue. We can deliver 300 cylinders a day, but are getting bookings for 900. We have not delivered a commercial cylinder in five days,” said Ritesh Yadav.
A dealer in Sector 46 concurs. “Our delivery time has increased from 24 hours to three days now. But we expect things to get better in a day or two.”
Bharat Yadav, president of the Haryana LPG Dealers Association, said: “Around 60% of Gurgaon’s LPG is sourced from abroad. Hence the supply is affected. There is so far no issue with the delivery of domestic cylinders, but there is panic among people. We expect things to stabilise soon.”
Many who work as domestic helps said they were booking cylinders fearing stock would finish soon. They were, however, informed regarding the 25-day waiting period.
“Those who want to stock up are purchasing extra cylinders in black, for Rs 3,500,” said a worker in Sector 52.
People are also tapping into the black market for commercial cylinders.
Shops owners in the popular HUDA markets in sectors 31 and 40 admitted they have bought cylinders in black to stay afloat. “I bought one for Rs 2,300, while the rate is Rs 1,800,” said the owner of an eatery operating in the Sector 31 market.
Staffers of a restaurant in the same market said they are mulling investment in a diesel bhatti (high-pressure gas stove). “Our dealer has said that we can only buy in black. For now, we have three left. We have removed tawa roti from the menu,” a staffer said.
Food outlets are also considering limiting operation to peak business hours.
Akshit Behl, growth and investment head at Khadak Singh Da Dhaba, said: “None of our vendors are able to supply commercial cylinders. So we are switching to electric, to an extent. For some outlets, we have started operating only during the peak hours: 7-10 pm.”
Another restaurant owner said that some outlets are able to cover the extra expense after buying cylinders in black as they see enough sales.
The sudden rise in demand for cylinders, meanwhile, has prompted many to buy induction cooktops. Users in Gurgaon Thursday said these cooktops are “out of stock” on quick commerce apps like Zepto, Swiggy Instamart and Blinkit.
A staffer at Happy Electric, Sushant Lok II, said: “We do not have inductions. But we have been receiving multiple enquiries from customers.”
“At least 20 cooktops are being sold daily. Prices are rising. What we used to get for Rs 2,400 is now priced at Rs 3,100 and above,” said Golu Tiwari of Anjana Electricals, Wazirabad.
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Source: The Indian Express
