Hyderabad: A shortage of gas cylinders forced approximately 1,000 villagers to camp overnight outside a gas agency office in Narsimhulapet mandal of Mahabubabad district on Sunday. Despite police efforts to disperse the crowd, the villagers refused to leave until they were issued a cylinder.
Severe Shortage Across Four Mandals
Officials reported that while around 1,000 to 1,200 people gathered at the agency, only about 300 cylinders were available on Sunday morning. The agency has been receiving stock once every 10 to 15 days over the past month, leading to a severe shortage across at least four mandals in the district.
“We are all suffering as the supply has been erratic. This has been the situation for the past 45 days,” said Peddamamula Yakaiah from Narsimhulapet village. He added that villagers were forced to stage a stir as only about 300 people were getting cylinders in a day.
Serpentine Queues and Overnight Vigil
Men, women, and children were seen standing in serpentine queues in front of the agency for about 24 hours from 5 pm on Saturday. Some brought bedsheets, towels, and mats, spreading them on the ground to sleep in the queue, which stretched up to the main road, in the hope of getting a cylinder. For a brief period, they also blocked traffic on the main highway.
Officials said the agency caters to residents of Maripeda, Danthalapally, Chinnagudur, and Nellikudur mandals. “It has over 24,000 connections, of which 15,300 are active. Instead of receiving stock once every three to four days, the agency is now getting supplies only once in about 15 days. This has increased delivery time and created panic among residents,” said G Ramesh Babu, tahsildar of Narsimhulapet mandal. He confirmed that villagers camped overnight.
Police Intervention and Dispersal
Police said the crowd dispersed only around 5 pm on Sunday. “The sub-inspector and seven constables were at the spot since morning and brought the situation under control. However, the crowd refused to leave until 5 pm, waiting in the hope of getting a cylinder. We will patrol the area at night as well, as we expect people to start queuing up,” said police.
Agency Staff Blame Panic and OTP Issues
Gas agency staff claimed that information about the arrival of stock was leaked, leading to long queues. “We informed people that cylinders would be delivered to their homes, but they were not ready to leave. The queues are a result of panic. We are delivering cylinders within 10 days of booking,” said an employee. He added that the agency received 300 domestic and 24 commercial cylinders on Sunday. He further said that in rural areas, many customers are unable to provide OTPs for delivery, which is also contributing to delays.
