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Asma Sultana and her son Faizan had been sitting at a gas agency in Warasiguda since Wednesday afternoon, March 11, looking visibly anxious. Their spare cylinder was empty, and the one in use had been booked almost a month ago. Every time they tried booking a new one, the automated call cut off before they could complete it. Around them, the agency was just as crowded, with dozens of residents, all with the same problem, getting the same unhelpful answer from the staff – network issue, please wait.

This is Hyderabad’s latest panic.

Since Tuesday evening, March 10, gas agencies across the city have been overwhelmed by domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) users scrambling to stock up, driven largely by rumours circulating on social media that a shortage of cooking gas is imminent, triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

What set off the rush

Three things seem to have come together to stoke the fear. One, word spread about a 25-day waiting period being imposed between consecutive cylinder bookings. Two, there were reports of LPG supply being diverted from commercial to domestic use. And three, the spectre of a commercial cylinder shortage spooked even those with no immediate need.

The timing hasn’t helped. With only 10 days left for Ramzan to end and Eid-Ul-Fitr just around the corner, Muslim households, who account for a significant chunk of the city’s population, are particularly on edge. The kitchen is going to be working overtime for the festivities, and the last thing anyone wants is to be caught without gas.

On the ground

At the Warasiguda agency, the scenes were telling. One woman arrived lugging an empty cylinder with her son in tow. Her gas connection was registered in her mother-in-law’s name in Kazipet. When the delivery boy went to the registered address, the elderly woman couldn’t read the one-time password (OTP) off her phone, so he simply left. For the past two days, the family has been cooking on firewood, she told Siasat.com.

Her case was one of several where small, fixable problems, such as wrong registered numbers, incomplete know your customer (KYC) and OTP issues, had snowballed into genuine hardship, made worse by the panic around them.

No shortage, for now

Praveen, a representative at Padma Gas Service in Warasiguda, said categorically that as of Wednesday, there is no shortage of domestic LPG cylinders. Cylinders booked on March 7 had already been delivered. Across companies, the current wait time for domestic cylinders is three to four days, which is manageable, if not ideal.

But here’s the catch. Bookings at his agency have shot up by 50 per cent over the last few days. This, he told Siasat.com, is a direct result of social media rumours. People who still have a cylinder in use are booking spares. The demand spike is real, even if the shortage isn’t. At least not yet.

According to a gas official, who did not want to be named, if the war in Iran continues for another week, there is likely to be a domestic LPG shortage.

India imports most of its domestic demand of LPG from West Asian countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, transported through the Strait of Hormuz in Iran, which is effectively closed since February 28.

Demand-supply gap

Jagan Mohan Reddy, president of the Telangana Gas Dealers Association, offers a more sobering view. Domestic LPG accounts for 86 per cent of total usage in the state, with an annual requirement of 1.16 million metric tonnes, which is growing at 8 per cent every year. There is already a 25 to 30 per cent supply gap, with the government able to bridge only 10 to 12 per cent of it. 

“The main focus remains on domestic LPG usage,” he told Siasat.com.

“Around 55 per cent of imports have been disrupted due to the conflict,” he added. “Even if the war ends tomorrow, it will take at least two to three months to restore normalcy.”

Precautionary measures

Reddy’s advice is, stretch your cylinder to last 60 days by cooking conservatively and explore alternative methods where possible. More importantly, he stresses discipline. Booking only through your registered mobile number, insisting on OTP-based delivery and getting your KYC done if you haven’t already. Non-compliance is how cylinders end up at the wrong address.

The induction stove option

Not everyone is waiting around for things to sort themselves out. At Vijay Sales in Nallakunta, sales executive Zubair said the showroom has already sold three to four induction stoves since Tuesday morning, which is unusual for a regular weekday. By Tuesday evening, interest picked up further. 

On quick e-commerce platforms like Swiggy Instamart and Blinkit, induction cookware is in the “trending” list, which users say has never been the case before.

Induction stoves, which work with cookware that has a compatible base, are seeing a quiet surge as residents look for a Plan B.

It may be the most practical response to a problem that, for now, is still more rumour than reality, but one that nobody in Hyderabad’s kitchens is taking any chances with.