Chitwan Local Administration Steps In to Ease Cooking Gas Shortage, Urges Against Hoarding
The District Administration Office in Chitwan has stepped in to resolve cooking gas supply disruptions by directly delivering LP gas cylinders to 802 households across Bharatpur, East Chitwan, and West Chitwan. The targeted assistance focused on vulnerable groups who logged complaints via the administration's toll-free helpline over the past week, including elderly residents, individuals with disabilities, single women, postpartum mothers, long-term patients, students, and local shelter homes.
The administrative intervention comes amid growing consumer frustration over long queues at local retail outlets despite bottling plants reporting steady production. Chief District Officer Ganesh Aryal announced that a dedicated monitoring team, led by Assistant Chief District Officer Churamani Sharma Gautam alongside police personnel, is now inspecting the entire supply chain from bottling factories to retail dealers to identify distribution bottlenecks. Chitwan requires roughly 120,000 gas cylinders per month, and while daily distribution of 6,000 to 7,000 cylinders should meet standard demand, market friction has prevented smooth delivery to homes.
According to Vimal Kalakheti, operator of Baba Gas Industry, the current shortage stems from imported supply chain delays in India rather than local production failures. Operational issues at the primary Indian refinery in Durgapur forced supply trucks to reroute to the Paradip refinery, doubling travel time from two days to four. Additionally, the Barauni refinery reduced its regular supply quotas during a period of heightened market demand. While three primary suppliers Saibaba, Baba, and Nepal Gas continue regular shipments, industry operators have suggested temporarily distributing half-filled cylinders or requesting higher short-term quotas from Barauni to stabilize the market. Local officials and suppliers urge residents to avoid panic buying and cylinder hoarding, noting that normal supply levels will restore much faster if consumers purchase strictly for immediate needs.
