‘No gas, no work’: How the LPG crisis is forcing migrant workers to leave the city, go back home. india news

Last updated:April 04, 2026, 10:47 IST

As cooking gas becomes scarce and expensive, and the jobs associated with it begin to dwindle, many migrants are once again packing their bags and heading home.

Five years after Covid-19 forced millions of migrant workers to leave cities and return to their villages, a fresh crisis is bringing back similar scenes. This time, it is the LPG shortage linked to the ongoing conflict in West Asia that is driving workers out of metro cities. As cooking gas becomes scarce and expensive, and associated jobs begin to dwindle, many migrants are once again packing their bags and heading home, mirroring the disruption seen during the pandemic.

The LPG crisis has forced many migrant workers from Bihar to return to their hometowns. As restaurants are scaling down operations due to irregular gas supply, thousands of people working in hotels and eateries are facing uncertainty and moving back to their villages.

Workers at Patna’s Danapur railway station said they had no option but to leave as it had become difficult to access LPG. Many people complained about delayed delivery or low gas cylinders. The rising prices of food items in hotels have made eating out affordable.

One worker said that there was a cooking gas crisis due to which there was shortage of food also. He said people are forced to use wood for cooking. Another said that without LPG there is no work, so they have no option but to return home.

“There is no gas, no work, and no way to cook food. So we are going back to our village. Eating out is very expensive, and without LPG we cannot cook. We have no option but to leave,” said a migrant worker at Danapur railway station in Bihar.

Another migrant worker said, “Even if there is work, how will we survive without cooking gas? Everything has become inaccessible.”

Impact seen across cities

This crisis has been reported from many parts of the country. Migrant workers are facing both livelihood and survival challenges. Many people depend on LPG for cooking in shared accommodation, while their jobs in restaurants, street food stalls and small units depend heavily on gas supply.

Struggling with rising cooking costs and food prices in Mumbai, migrants have started leaving their homes. Passengers of trains like Kamayani Express for Uttar Pradesh, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Rajgir Express for Bihar and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-Howrah Mail for West Bengal were monitored. 130 migrants were interviewed at two major stations, of whom 62 said they were returning due to shortage of LPG.

Vishesh Tyagi, a 24-year-old employee working in a plumbing material factory. Tyagi had returned to Mumbai on March 19 after a short visit to Varanasi, but he decided to leave again within five days. He said he was not getting gas cylinders and could not eat out every day, leaving him with no reason to stay in the city.

The Tribune quoted Ram Bhawan Goswami, president of Uttar Pradesh Welfare Council (Amritsar), as saying that around 40,000 to 50,000 laborers out of around 35 lakh in Punjab return to their native places during this period every year. “The shortage of cooking gas is certainly forcing many people to join them this time,” he said.

Suresh, a dhaba owner in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, said, “We are facing a lot of problems due to the cost of gas cylinders. If someone is selling in the black market, he is charging Rs 2500. The situation at the agency is also bad. They say that gas will be available only if we have made a booking in advance… We are incurring huge losses…”

Huge increase in LPG prices

Several activists said the prices of small 5 kg cylinders have increased from about Rs 500 to Rs 550 to between Rs 1,100 and Rs 2,000. A standard 14.2 kg cylinder, which earlier cost Rs 900 to Rs 1,200, is now reportedly selling for Rs 3,200 to Rs 4,000 at some places.

Some workers claimed that LPG is being sold in the black market at around Rs 500 per kg, making it unaffordable for daily wage earners.

Large scale migration of workers is being seen in Surat

In Surat, Gujarat, the shortage has led to a clear exodus of workers. More than 150,000 workers have left the city in the last 30 days.

Workers said that even when jobs were available, they could not continue to live in the city due to the high cost or lack of cooking gas.

“I have returned from Udhna, Surat. There was a gas (LPG) problem and there was not much work. We were cooking on wood fire,” a daily wage laborer was quoted as saying by PTI.

“I am back from Delhi, had gone there to work. But there was a problem of gas, it was being sold at Rs 450 (per kilogram), so I had to return. Gas was available, but it was very expensive, forcing us to return,” says Kamlesh Kumar, another daily wage labourer.

“We are going to the village because we are not getting gas for the last few days. Our companies are also shutting down… We don’t have money, so we are going back. No one is helping us here… We will return when the gas supply starts. Many people are going back,” said Sachin, a migrant worker.

Seema Devi, another migrant worker, claimed that she has been trying to get gas for the last fifteen days without any result.

West Asia war behind supply disruption

The ongoing LPG shortage in India has been linked to the conflict in West Asia, which is now in its fifth week. The situation has disrupted global energy supply chains. India imports about 60 percent of its LPG, most of it from West Asia.

A survey found that more than 40 percent of families faced delays in getting cylinders last week.

This shortage is affecting not only homes but also businesses. The restaurant industry may suffer a loss of up to Rs 79,000 crore as many outlets cut down menus or close temporarily due to irregular gas supply.

Prashant Sahu, a migrant worker, was quoted by TOI as saying, “After the second lockdown during Covid-19, I and my brother moved from Odisha to Hyderabad. We have settled here, and my children are studying in local schools. However, the owner of the restaurant where I work has reduced operations, and many of us have been informed that we may lose our jobs if the situation worsens. We did not receive our full salaries in March, and now I am returning to farming in Odisha. I am especially concerned about my children’s education.”

The crisis has gone beyond supply issues and is now affecting daily life. Delays in refills, rising black market prices and fewer job opportunities are forcing many migrant workers to reconsider staying in major cities.

What did the government say on the LPG crisis?

The Petroleum Ministry on Friday said it is taking several steps to manage the LPG crisis and ensure that the supply remains stable across the country. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that efforts are on to maintain uninterrupted availability of LPG, petrol and diesel despite the disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Citizens have been advised not to panic buy fuel or book LPG cylinders unnecessarily and rely only on official information.

The government said it has prioritized domestic LPG supply, especially to households, hospitals and educational institutions, while increasing refinery production and adjusting booking gaps. It has also encouraged the use of alternative fuels such as PNG, kerosene and electric cooking options.

States have been directed to monitor supplies, prevent hoarding and black marketing and ensure proper distribution. The government further said that there is no shortage of LPG distributors and despite demand and delays, delivery of lakhs of cylinders continues daily.

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