Sunita and Madhu both work as domestic servants in an upper-middle class urban household in South Delhi. Both of them earn a modest income of INR 2,500 per month from this single employer. However, recently their paths have diverged. For Madhu, whose household relies on a pipeline natural gas (PNG) connection, the escalating war in West Asia is just a headline. But for Sunita it is a disaster. Their earlier allotment of INR 850 for a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder has been wiped out by a rise in the black market, which now charges more than INR 3,000 per refill.
3D visualization of satellite images of the Strait of Hormuz. Photo credit: Frank Ramspott/Getty Images
The sixth anniversary of the Covid-19 curfew arrived with a cruel feeling of déjà vu. Memories of shortages and job losses are being rekindled by the ongoing conflict in West Asia. While the geopolitical stakes of the conflict are being debated in the televised theaters of war, the costs are felt most acutely in the areas of Delhi where the urban poor live and where the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz has turned a basic utility into a luxury.
The demands of the administration compared to lived experiences
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta urged citizens not to panic and assured that there was no shortage of domestic or commercial LPG. Gupta has tried to quell the growing panic with optimistic data. She shared that the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) delivered 1,26,379 bottles on April 3, 2026, significantly exceeding the registered 1,11,504 bookings. Because of this surplus, Gupta claimed that the backlog cleared and the average wait for a bottle was reduced to just four days.
However, interviews with residents and vendors reveal a massive disconnect between the secretariat and the streets.
However, interviews with residents and vendors reveal a massive disconnect between the secretariat and the streets. Speaking to FII, a Hindustan Petroleum (HP) operator in Kailash Colony clarified the reality behind these numbers. The system now mandates a 25 day gap between bookings to prevent hoarding. While actual delivery occurs within 1 to 2 days of successful booking, the mandatory waiting period effectively locks consumers out of the supply chain for almost a month.
Photo credit: Prasant Madugula/The New Indian Express
In Mayur Vihar, Brijesh, a middle-class resident and security guard, confirmed that his portal enforces this 25-day waiting period. In Faridabad and southwest Delhi, residents report being told they have to place their orders at least 20 days in advance just to stay in the queue. This discrepancy suggests that while the government’s macro data signals efficiency, the “last mile” experience for the common man remains uncertain.
Ground realities faced by Delhi’s working class
The crisis has forced small business owners to resort to desperate and costly “innovations.” At the ITO gate, Akbar recently reopened his Sardar Ji Parathe Waale stall after a week of forced closure by procuring a bottle from a vendor for INR 3,000. A tea seller near Akbar’s eatery has been carrying his household bottle back and forth every day since the crisis began, fearing that his current supply will inevitably run out.
Sunita considers buying an induction cooktop for INR 1,500, but is unaware that special magnetic cookware will reflect the inflated cost of LPG that she is trying to escape.
Ram Ji, a chole kulche seller, has also switched back to using kerosene, which is currently priced at INR 140 per liter. This is almost double the regular price of INR 80. Meanwhile, Sunita considers buying an induction cooktop for INR 1,500, unaware that special magnetic cookware will reflect the inflated cost of LPG that she is trying to escape.
A seller uses a kerosene stove (representative image). Photo credit: Kunal Patil/PTI
Dr. Ashok Sreenivas, Senior Fellow, Prayas Energy Group and Policy Advisor, NITI Aayog, spoke about electricity as an alternative source of clean energy for cooking and stressed the need to make the power sector more reliable. He pointed out two problems and said: “If electricity is the main option, the service needs to be more reliable.” Although access to electricity has increased, power outages continue to occur regularly and the quality of services remains questionable.” He further added, “Cooking happens within a short period of time in most households.” “If many people use the induction cooker at the same time, the power grid is affected.”
However, as Delhi tightens its LPG regulations, residents are finding ways around them. Arif, a chowmein seller, said he completely circumvented Delhi’s regulations by procuring a 5kg bottle from Gurgaon for INR 2020. In Haryana, the same restrictions do not apply, so gas can be purchased immediately after payment. This is in stark contrast to the many hurdles to purchasing LPG in the capital.
The anatomy of a deficiency
India’s energy architecture remains notoriously fragile. The country consumes approximately 31.3 million tons of liquefied gas (according to official government data for fiscal year 2024-25) annually, but produces only 12.8 million tonnes domestically. India relies on imports to meet nearly 60 percent of its LPG needs, with 90 percent of these imports consisting of LPG passed through the Strait of Hormuz. With this primary sea route now at risk, India is facing a severe LPG shortage and the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), which has expanded LPG access to over 10.5 million beneficiaries, is now facing its biggest logistical test.
While the Center increased the price of non-subsidized LPG cylinders by INR 60 In March, the shortage gave rise to a predatory black market. Furthermore, India’s dependence on imports is not only limited to LPG but also extends to LNG imported from West Asia and converted to PNG for transportation via pipelines.
First India-bound ship to arrive in Mumbai through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the West Asia conflict (March 11, 2026). Photo credit: AP
The Delhi government claims that the situation is under control and points out Daily LPG bookings declined from a March peak of 2 lakhs to 1.1 lakhs in early April. However, the crisis has prompted the Center to make it mandatory for households with PNG connections hand over their LPG bottles. Currently only 1.5 million households use PNG compared to 32 million households who use liquid gas for cooking. Dr. Ashok Sreenivas says that while PNG and electricity are “two obvious alternatives,” their use remains context-specific. “The risk is that if a lot of people move to Papua New Guinea, do we as a country have so much supply?” “In addition, imported gas is expensive, which creates a further shortage,” he said.
While refineries have been directed to produce LPG from crude oil, PMUY beneficiaries and small restaurant owners remain in a precarious position.
While refineries were instructed Produce liquefied petroleum gas from crude oilPMUY beneficiaries and small restaurant owners remain in a precarious position. Dr. Sreenivas noted that rural households are the most affected. “Single cylinder households are more common in rural areas and the impact on them is greater due to the need for immediate replacement,” he noted. He further added that there is no direct data to confirm whether PMUY beneficiaries in remote areas are actually receiving mandatory home deliveries of LPG cylinders.
The government crackdownN
To curb the flourishing illegal trade in LPG, the Delhi government has banned it Direct purchase of cylinders of Godowns on April 5, 2026. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta advised residents not to visit gas agencies or storage centers and insisted that “booked cylinders will be delivered to houses within the agreed time”. According to media reports she said“Avoid visiting LPG outlets.” “The administration will ensure uninterrupted supply of LPG to the people.” She further added that “strict action” would be taken against violators.
Image source: Abhinav Saha/Indian Express
Sunita fears the move, intended to stabilize supplies, will cut off her only immediate, albeit expensive, source of fuel. There is a profound lack of knowledge about the mechanism of online bookings among migrant workers; To purchase LPG, many continue to rely on direct purchases or black market sales, which are now criminalized.
On the reasons why the country is facing such an acute LPG crisis, Dr. Sreenivas: “We need to diversify our sources of LPG and the government has asked refineries to produce more LPG as a by-product.” Dr. Sreenivas was referring to the government’s invocation of the Essential Commodities Act of 1955 in March 2026, directing public and private refineries to use propylene or butane streams for LPG production instead of sales to the petrochemical sector. This LPG can only be supplied to OMCs for domestic consumers.
Disturbed by the news of the ‘godown ban’, Sunita recently asked her husband Tribhuvan if it was time to move to their village in Bihar. Tribhuvan, who has witnessed the city’s many crises, is unfazed by this. “We stayed in Delhi during the COVID scares,” he assured her. “We’ll get through this too.” For Sunita and many of these migrant workers in Delhi, the energy crisis is not just a question of global trade routes; It is a test of endurance against a system that claims to work efficiently while the reality on the ground does not reflect this.
Second year student of Media Studies at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), BRC, Bangalore. A trained Kathak dancer, theater artist and political nerd.
