The government on Monday said there is no shortage of LPG across the country and that supply of commercial cylinders is steadily improving, even as authorities continue to monitor developments in the Gulf region and ensure the safety of Indian nationals. 

Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said there has been no “dry-out” at LPG distributors. 

“Commercial LPG supply has been restored to around 70%. More than 2.15 lakh tonnes of commercial LPG have been sold in April, while auto LPG sales have reached approximately 11,100 tonnes,” she said. 

She added that over 23 lakh 5-kg cylinders were sold during the month, and more than 10,000 awareness camps have been organised since April 3 to facilitate smooth distribution. 

Meanwhile, India's cooking gas LPG consumption fell by a steep 16% in April as supply disruptions linked to the West Asia conflict hit availability for both household kitchens and commercial users, according to latest official data.  

LPG consumption stood at 2.2 million tonnes in April, 16.16% lower than 2.62 million tonnes consumed in the same period last year. The consumption was 10.5% lower than the 2.45 million tonnes of LPG sales in April 2024. It was also down month-on-month, lower than the 2.379 million tonnes of consumption in March, according to data from the Oil Ministry's Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC). 

India monitoring Gulf situation 

Meanwhile, Aseem R. Mahajan, Additional Secretary (Gulf) at the Ministry of External Affairs, said the government is closely tracking developments in the West Asia region. 

“Our focus remains on ensuring the safety and welfare of the Indian community in the region. We are in constant touch with state governments and Union Territories to coordinate efforts,” he said. 

A dedicated control room has been set up by the ministry to respond to queries from Indian nationals and their families. 

Mahajan noted that the flight situation is gradually improving, with additional services being operated between the region and India. Airspace in the United Arab Emirates is open, and flights are operational from multiple airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Airspace in Qatar is partially open. 

Seafarers safe, ports operating normally 

Opesh Kumar Sharma, Director at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said all Indian seafarers are safe, with no incidents reported so far.  

He said the ministry is coordinating with the External Affairs Ministry and other stakeholders to ensure seafarer welfare and uninterrupted maritime operations. “The DG Shipping control room has handled over 8,414 calls and 18,064 emails, including 41 calls and 99 emails in the last 24 hours,” he said. 

He added that more than 2,976 Indian seafarers have been repatriated so far, including 23 in the past 24 hours. All ports across the country are functioning normally with no congestion reported.