Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, March 12: A severe shortage of commercial LPG cylinders has begun to disrupt industrial activity in the Adityapur Industrial Area, putting pressure on several ancillary units linked to Tata Motors and other engineering industries.
The Adityapur Industrial Area in the Seraikela-Kharsawan district, houses around 1,300 industrial units and forms a key part of the automobile and engineering supply chain. However, industries in the cluster are now facing mounting operational challenges due to reduced availability of LPG and related industrial gases.
Industry sources said the shortage has emerged after authorities prioritised domestic LPG distribution to ensure uninterrupted supply to households.
As a result, commercial LPG supply to industrial users has reportedly remained suspended since March 7. Many factories initially continued production using existing stocks, but with supplies now running out, several units have begun scaling down operations.
The crisis has also pushed up the cost of cutting gas used in metal processing.
Several MSMEs in the industrial belt, especially those producing PVC and HDPE pipes and other petrochemical-based products, are also struggling with raw material shortages.
Entrepreneurs say that even at higher prices, essential inputs are becoming difficult to procure, threatening production schedules at a time when March is typically a crucial month for government-linked procurement and projects.
The Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and ensure a minimum supply of commercial LPG to industrial clusters. Copies of the request have also been sent to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Local LPG dealer RP Chaudhary said dozens of trucks carrying empty commercial cylinders are currently waiting outside bottling plants for refilling, reflecting the severity of the supply disruption. He also called for strict monitoring to prevent hoarding or black marketing during the ongoing shortage.
