LPG bookings shoot up in a week, supply remains steady in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The shortage of commercial LPG cylinders and panic buying by consumers has triggered an unprecedented surge in domestic LPG bookings across Greater Hyderabad. According to dealers, domestic LPG bookings in the city jumped by more than 300%, overwhelming the distribution network. While the city usually records around 70,000 bookings per day, the number has surged to 2.5 lakh to 3 lakh since the shortage began.Data from distributors shows that over 12 lakh LPG cylinders were booked between March 9 and 14 alone, accounting for nearly 50% of the city's average monthly demand. On an average, residents with around 33 lakh LPG connections book 22 lakh to 25 lakh cylinders every month. The sudden spike has also created pressure on the LPG supply chain, leading to server congestion, delays in booking confirmations, and long queues at gas agencies, say dealers. Across Greater Hyderabad, nearly 150 gas dealers witnessed a rush of consumers attempting to secure cylinders in the last few days."Some residents are booking cylinders even when they still have two kg to three kg of gas left in their existing cylinder. But when delivery boys reach their homes, many customers either do not answer calls or request delivery on another day," said a city-based gas dealer. D Ashok Kumar, president, Greater Hyderabad Gas Dealers Association reiterated how the rush has led to servers slowing down or even crashing. "However, the supply of domestic cylinders remains stable. In the last few days alone, we delivered nearly five lakh cylinders, which is about 120% of the usual delivery volume. There is no shortage of domestic LPG," he added. Dealers also pointed out that panic booking is distorting the supply-demand pattern, making it harder to prioritise households that genuinely need refills. They urged consumers to book cylinders only when their existing cylinder is close to empty, so that deliveries can be managed more efficiently.