Hyderabad HP gas customers experience unprecedented delays; relief expected within week

Residents, accustomed to a swift turnaround of under three days, are now grappling with extended waiting times, prompting widespread concern and inquiries.

Hyderabad: A surge in the delivery time for cooking gas cylinders has left numerous customers in the city facing significant delays, with some reporting waiting periods of up to 10 days. This disruption has prompted widespread concern and a flurry of inquiries from anxious consumers seeking prompt refills.

Residents, accustomed to a swift turnaround of under three days, are now grappling with extended waiting times, prompting widespread concern and inquiries. Multiple factors contributed to this delay in HP cylinder deliveries, according to Jagan Mohan Reddy Kalluri, President of the Telangana LPG Distributors Association.

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“Several challenges have converged in the LPG sector, including a recent strike by transport bodies in opposition to the new motor vehicle act. This industrial action had a ripple effect on the distribution of essential commodities such as LPG and diesel, causing a temporary disruption.”

In addition to the strike, a routine inspection at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, involving a comprehensive safety check conducted once every five to six years, resulted in a pause in production for approximately three and a half days. This hiatus led to an accumulation of orders.

“Furthermore, speculations surrounding a potential increase in cylinder prices to Rs 500 during the first week of January prompted customers to withhold bookings, awaiting official announcements,” Kalluri added.

The collective impact of these challenges, including the strike, panic-driven booking due to perceived shortages, and anticipatory holdbacks linked to pricing speculations, created a substantial backlog. This backlog has translated into delays of up to 10 days in certain localities.

Kalluri said concerted efforts were underway to mitigate the effects of the backlog and added, “the plants have been operating 24×7 for the past three days, with a concerted strategy to reduce the backlog by 20 per cent each day. Through additional night shifts, we aim to expedite the resolution of the backlog within a week or a maximum of 15 days.”

He also acknowledged that similar challenges were being experienced by customers of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), while Indane Cooking Gas users appeared to be facing fewer disruptions.