Telangana faces LPG shortage Uttam seeks Centre’s help
LPG shortage worries Telangana, Uttam seeks urgent support
Citing shipment delays, Telangana seeks higher LPG allocation as supplies drop to 147 tonnes against daily demand of 202 tonnes.
Hyderabad’s LPG Crunch: Minister Vows Fight as Auto Owners Queue in Vain
Imagine this: Dawn cracks over Hyderabad, and long lines snake around LPG pumps on the Outer Ring Road. Auto-rickshaw drivers like Raju, nursing a half-empty tank, curse under his breath—another day chasing fuel amid global chaos. Telangana Civil Supplies Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy gets it; he’s penning an urgent letter to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, pleading for Delhi’s muscle to smash the LPG shortage crippling vehicles statewide.
Monday’s emergency huddle at the Secretariat felt like a war room. Reddy rallied Civil Supplies Commissioner Stephen Ravindra, Hyderabad Collector Harichandana, and bigwigs from IOCL, GoGas, Total Energies, Super Gas. The verdict? Cargo ships dawdling offshore, thanks to international snarls—think Hormuz Strait drama—leaving pumps dry. Daily auto LPG demand hits 202 tonnes; supply limps at 147. “We’re short by 55 tonnes every day,” Reddy fumed post-meeting, voice laced with frustration. Public giants like IOCL (35 tonnes/day) and HPCL outpace privates, who handle 75% of supply but scramble hardest.
It’s personal for Hyderabad’s pulse—millions rely on gleaming autos zipping through Charminar traffic, ferrying kids to school, workers to offices. Pumps run parched, queues stretch hours, tempers flare. Raju shares his tale: “Wife’s waiting for my earnings, but no gas means no runs. Kids go hungry.” Infrastructure bites too: Of 143 outlets (116 city-core, 27 ORR fringes), 23 sit idle—broken dispensers, supply droughts. Privates truck bulk from far-flung terminals: Krishnapatnam’s ports, Jaigarh’s windswept coast, Mumbai and Tamil Nadu hubs. Delays compound; one late ship cascades into empty cylinders.
Reddy’s no stranger to public gripes—town halls buzz with pleas. He hammered suppliers: “PSUs, step up! Global ripples amplify it—Iran strikes choke shipping, oil spikes jack prices, tankers detour. Hyderabad feels the pinch acute; autos guzzle LPG, cheaper than petrol, powering the city’s affordable lifeline.
Flash to the meeting’s grit: Harichandana mapped hotspots, Ravindra crunched data, company reps squirmed under Reddy’s glare. “Not acceptable,” he declared, eyes on Puri’s intervention. Short-term fixes? Rationing whispers, emergency imports, pump repairs rushed. Long-term? More resilient chains, local storage bulking up.
For families, it’s survival math. A daily commuter burns 2-3 kilos; shortages mean grounded rides, lost wages—Rs 1,000-2,000 daily for drivers. Vendors idle, deliveries lag, small biz reels. Women heading households juggle empties, kids walk farther. Reddy’s letter? A Hail Mary to Union might, unlocking priority cargoes or subsidies.
This isn’t just stats—it’s Hyderabad’s heartbeat stuttering. From Hi-Tech City techies carpooling to Old City vendors peddling sans wheels, the squeeze unites. Reddy vows transparency: Weekly updates, supplier accountability. As ships inch closer, hope flickers. But till then, queues endure, horns blare, resilience shines.
In Telangana’s sweltering streets, crises forge character. Minister Reddy’s push echoes public pain—will Delhi deliver? For now, drivers like Raju rev on fumes, dreaming full tanks. Hang tight, Hyderabad; fuel’s fight is ours.