The war in West Asia is putting pressure on fuel supplies, especially LPG. The government said that there is no shortage of petrol and diesel and despite the panic, there is sufficient stock of LPG.
New Delhi: The ongoing war in West Asia and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz have increased the pressure on fuel supplies around the world. Meanwhile, the Indian government held a joint press conference with several ministries for the third consecutive day on Friday. The government has made it clear that there is no shortage of petrol and diesel in the country. However, due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, there is concern about the supply of LPG i.e. cooking gas. The government said that amid the war situation, the number of gas bookings in the country has increased by about 20 lakhs.
On behalf of the government, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing and Oil Refinery), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said that before the war, an average of 55.7 lakh cylinders were booked every day. Now this figure has increased to about 76 lakh bookings per day. The government says that this sudden surge in booking of LPG cylinders amid the war situation is due to panic among the people. However, the government has assured that LPG distributors have sufficient stock of gas to deal with this situation.
The Petroleum Ministry said, “LPG supply is a matter of concern because most of the LPG comes into the country through the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently closed. Despite this, none of our 25,000 LPG distributors have reported running out of gas.”
Central government will also distribute kerosene and coal
The ministry further said, “The Central Government has allotted an additional 48,000 kiloliters of kerosene (kerosene) to the states. States have been asked to identify places in their respective districts for distributing kerosene. Additionally, Coal India has been directed to provide coal as an alternative fuel to small, medium and other customers.”
The government has said that there is no need to panic, as no LPG dealer has informed about the shortage of stock. Many sectors were given priority in the Natural Gas Order issued on March 9, 2026. According to that order, the supply of domestic PNG and CNG will continue without any interruption.
People do not need to panic
The Petroleum Ministry said, “There is absolutely no need for people to panic in the current situation. Yes, it is true that commercial customers in big cities and centres, who are dependent on LPG supply, are facing some problems. The Government of India is making every possible effort to address their concerns.”
According to the government, India has the capacity to refine 258 million metric tons of crude oil. All the refineries of the country are currently working at 100% or more capacity. These refineries have sufficient reserves of crude oil and the supply is continuous.