War begins to bite: LPG 'shortage' forces Bengaluru restaurants to shut down

Bengaluru

The Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association (BBHA) announced in an official letter on Monday that restaurants across Bengaluru will cease operations from March 10 due to a shortage in the supply of commercial LPG cylinders. In its notice, the association said, “The supply of gas cylinders for commercial use has been stopped from today. Since the hotel industry is classified as an essential service, common people, senior citizens, students, and others who depend on it will face difficulties in their daily meals.

Oil companies had earlier said there would be no disruption in gas supply for 70 days. However, the sudden stoppage of supply is a big blow to the hotel industry.” The association also urged the concerned Union Ministers to take immediate action to restore commercial LPG supply, stating that hotels would remain closed until the situation returns to normal.

As of March 2026, the city is facing an LPG shortage triggered by supply chain disruptions and rising global energy costs linked to the ongoing war between Israel-US and Iran in West Asia. The situation has led to panic bookings among consumers, further intensifying the shortage. To regulate demand and prevent hoarding, oil marketing companies have introduced a mandatory 21–30 day interval between successive LPG cylinder bookings. Meanwhile, domestic LPG prices have also witnessed a sharp increase of Rs 60 and Rs 115 for commercial cylinders.

Gas agencies report delays in cylinder supply  
“We have not been given any information from the plant. They are saying that there is no stock of liquefied gas. Some cylinders are moving, but at a very delayed rate,” said Sudhir, manager at Indane TT Gas Service in Puttenahalli, speaking to News Trail. He said the agency was not receiving clear communication from the plant regarding the shortage.

He added that the crunch of domestic cylinders has persisted for nearly a week. With growing concern and increasing pressure on supply, he noted that the distribution of commercial cylinders would be stopped from Tuesday. Manjunath, a resident who arrived at the gas agency office carrying an empty cylinder in his car, was among several consumers waiting outside the office hoping to obtain a refill.

He said that although he had booked a refill earlier, the delivery had been delayed for three days. “When I called the agency, they told me to come directly to the office to get a new one.” Several other customers continued to arrive at the agency, either calling or speaking to staff to complain about the significant delay in refilling cylinders.

Many appeared panicked after hearing about the shortage and were requesting staff to provide a refill if they brought empty cylinders to the office.
“I currently have only one gas cylinder, and I am worried about what I will do if the situation worsens,” said Chitra, a resident whose concern reflects the apprehension among many Bengalureans at present.