New Delhi: State-run oil marketing companies in India are contemplating a plan to ration LPG Supplies to households by reducing the weight of gas in cylinders.
While the cylinders will be of 14.2 kg capacity, they will only carry 10 kg LPG. This plan is being weighed to tide over the LPG supply crisis due to the Strait of Hormuz logjam.
Standard 14.2-kg cylinders will be filled with about 10 kg of LPG to spread existing supplies across more households during the current strain, a report in The Economic Times has said.
The report has quoted an industry executive as saying that the idea is aimed at conserving available fuel while ensuring that households continue to receive refills. The discussion comes as cargo movement through the crucial energy corridor has slowed considerably amid the ongoing tensions involving Iran, affecting LPG shipments bound for India, News 18 has reported.
Nearly 60% of India’s LPG demand is met through imports. There has been sharp slowdown in arrivals of stock, recent supply data indicates. While two more LPG tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz, there is still a huge demand supply gap.
In an average family, a 14.2-kg cylinder lasts about 35 to 40 days. The report has cited officials as saying that even a 10-kg refill could last close to a month, allowing authorities to distribute limited supplies more evenly during the crunch.
Cylinders would carry revised labels indicating the reduced quantity, and prices would be adjusted accordingly, if the measure is undertaken. Moreover, companies would need to modify bottling processes and may require regulatory approval before implementing the plan.
There has been a pressure on supplies after partial LPG allocations to commercial users resumed, further tightening inventories.
Officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas have acknowledged concerns, describing the situation as “worrisome” while maintaining that household availability remains stable for now. Industry leaders caution that if the crisis persists, supply conditions could become more challenging in the weeks ahead.
