LPG Crisis: Will Lucknow Switch To Kerosene? Oil Companies Prepare Backup Plans For 'Worst Case Scenario'

To combat the LPG shortage, the Uttar Pradesh government may switch to kerosene on a temporary basis for the next 10-12 days. According to the state authorities, the decision solely came to provide a solution for the temporary crisis.

The oil marketing companies claimed that the decision is to test whether kerosene, which is omitted from the state's supplies, would work as an emergency solution. According to the authorities, the availability of kerosene would be difficult, as the liquid is naturally produced during the refining of petrol and diesel.

ALSO READ: LPG Crisis In India: How IRCTC Is Ensuring Uninterrupted Food On Premium Trains Like Vande Bharat And Rajdhani

The UP government declared itself a "kerosene-free" state in 2020, aiming to step toward cleaner cooking fuels.

According to the parliamentary responses and PPAC reports, the allocation of kerosene oil to the state has declined. Uttar Pradesh received about 43,152 kilometers of PDS kerosene in 2020-21, which plunged to 15,132 kl in 2021-22; in 2022-23, it further dropped to 55 kl and became zero during 2023-24, Times of India reported.

As per the officials, these are backup plans for a "worst-case scenario ". The move focuses on maintaining stable household access to cooking fuel while safeguarding the progress made over the years through LPG expansion. 

On usual days, UP has a demand of 10 lakh LPG cylinders, against which the oil marketing companies ensure 9.8 lakh cylinders. On Tuesday, it generated a demand of 7.6 lakh cylinders amid the implementation of 25-day booking restrictions, against which the OMCs provided 6.9 lakh cylinders.

ALSO READ: ‘Determination Of Creamy Layer In OBCs Cannot Be Solely Decided On Income Brackets’: Supreme Court

The impact of the LPG supply disruption is now being felt by India Inc as well, with some companies reporting operational issues due to cooking gas shortages affecting cafeterias and food services. At the same time, disruptions in commercial LPG supply have been reported in cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, with restaurants and eateries struggling to procure cylinders and, in some cases, cutting menus or scaling down operations. Police in several states have also stepped up monitoring amid rumors around LPG supply, warning of strict action against misinformation, hoarding, and theft of cylinders. The government, however, maintains there is no nationwide LPG crisis and says refinery output has been increased by about 10 per cent to stabilise supplies.