Bandipora, March 14 (NewsEye): Long queues formed near a cooking gas distribution point in Bandipora on Saturday morning as residents rushed to collect liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders amid fears of a possible shortage.
Hundreds of people gathered near the Ranger Khan area of Bandipora, many carrying multiple empty cylinders as panic grew over fuel supplies following tensions in West Asia.
Officials, however, said there is no shortage of LPG in the district and urged residents to avoid panic buying.
Rayees Ahmad Bhat, who runs Valley Gas Agency in Bandipora, told NewsEye that the district currently has sufficient stock.
“There is no need to panic. We have enough LPG stock available in Bandipora,” he said.
According to Bhat, the agency has more than 600 cylinders available in Bandipora, while another 300 cylinders are kept in Sumbal as backup supply.
He said the rush at the agency was largely driven by panic among consumers rather than an actual shortage.
“People who already have two filled cylinders at home are trying to get two more. That creates unnecessary pressure and makes it difficult for those who genuinely need a cylinder,” he said.
Despite the availability of home delivery services, many residents have been visiting the agency directly to collect cylinders, creating the impression that supplies are running low.
“The cylinders are home delivered, but people are still coming here themselves. That is why the situation appears panic-like,” Bhat said.
He urged residents to rely on the regular booking system and allow dealers to deliver cylinders to their homes.
“I request people to stay at home. Cylinders will be delivered by the respective dealers in each area. People should also use online booking,” he added.
Earlier this week, the Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, Anshul Garg also appealed to the public not to panic, saying the region currently has around 13 days of LPG stock available.
The panic among consumers has been linked to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which has raised concerns about possible disruptions in fuel supply.
India imports roughly 60 percent of its LPG requirements, with nearly 90 percent of those imports passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route that has been at the centre of rising regional tensions.
Meanwhile, some residents waiting in the queue complained about the unavailability of cylinders in their local areas.
Bashir Ahmad, 52, said he was forced to visit the agency after failing to obtain a cylinder from the delivery agent in his area.
“The local delivery agent of our area is out of stock. I called our him yesterday and he said no cylinders are available right now,” Bashir said.
He also alleged that some delivery agents might be holding back cylinders ahead of the Eid festival to sell them at higher prices.
“We feel that some delivery agents are stocking cylinders so they can sell them at higher rates as Eid-ul-Fitr approaches. People will have no option but to buy them at whatever price they demand,” he added.
Irfan Ahmad, 35, said he arrived early in the morning after his gas cylinder ran out yesterday.
“I finished my Sehri and came here early in the morning because our cylinder finished yesterday. I haven’t even prayed the Fajr prayer yet,” he said.
“The situation here is unfortunate. People are stocking three or four cylinders, while some have none, which creates panic and leads to shortages.”
“I only had one cylinder and it finished yesterday, so I came here to get a new one. People themselves are creating panic and making things difficult for those who actually need it,” he added.
At the national level, the government has also sought to reassure consumers.
Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, told reporters on Friday that while the situation in West Asia is a “slight issue of concern”, no distributor in the country has reported running out of LPG.
She urged consumers to avoid panic booking.
Officials also noted a sharp increase in booking requests in recent days. Between April 2025 and February 2026, an average of 5.57 million LPG refill bookings were placed daily across the country.
However, bookings surged to 6.9 million on March 10 and further climbed to 7.57 million on March 12, suggesting a wave of panic bookings amid geopolitical tensions. (NewsEye)
