A cooking gas crisis has engulfed India, transforming LPG cylinders into priceless treasures worth more than gold. Kilometer-long lines snake outside agencies in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana—people queue endlessly, chasing elusive refills. Dawn departures stretch into evenings; alternatives mean black market gouging at 3-5 times official prices.
Heartbreak in Punjab: Barnala resident Bhushan Kumar Mittal, 60, waited two hours in line—his 25th position ended in cardiac arrest and on-site death. In Ludhiana’s Shanti Nagar, robbers stripped a cylinder from a man mid-walk.
UP’s unrest simmers. Barabanki video shows savage brawl at Amit Gas Agency—Abdul vs. Manish over queue precedence, fists flying. Basti’s Mahadeva intersection became a race track: gas arrival news sparked a frenzied dash, cylinders hoisted high amid shoves.
In Kanpur, a mother’s anguish spilled over: eight days, 1,600 rupees spent commuting, zero cylinders. ‘Empty home, empty hopes—suicide tempts me,’ she lamented.
Patna’s Satya Gas Agency fell to deception. Fraudsters, flashing Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary’s name and SDO badges, seized four cylinders. Swift denial from the office, probe underway.
Tragedy amplified in Jharkhand’s Garhwa: Shambhu Prasad Gupta, stocking petrol amid global war fears, perished in a fiery crash—his bike hit by a car, igniting the hoard.
Commercial users suffer worse, as this shortage disrupts routines and economies. Voices rise for urgent imports and crackdowns on hoarders. India’s kitchens await relief.