LPG Gas Shortage Hits Janakpur Amidst Protests

Janakpurdham. Not only in Kathmandu, but also in Janakpur, the capital of Madhesh Province, there has been a shortage of LPG gas for cooking. Sellers are turning away customers, saying 'no gas' at any dealer or shop within the city. Dealers are telling customers to leave their names and they will be called when gas arrives. The district administration office had issued a curfew order last Thursday at 3:30 PM in protest of the Sunsari incident, which was escalating towards communal incitement. The market, trade, and business were completely shut down due to the curfew. However, yesterday morning after 10 AM, the local administration removed the curfew and imposed a prohibitory order defining four boundaries. Although the market has opened with the prohibitory order, gas sellers are saying there is no gas. Sushiladevi Sah, who lives in a rented room in Janakpur-10, was forced to visit more than 10 dealers and shops for gas, but she could not get gas until this afternoon. Not only Sushiladevi, but many consumers in Janakpur are facing the same problem. Local Sanjay Mishra is in a similar situation. After running out of gas while cooking, he went to 5-7 places but couldn't find it anywhere. Complaining, he said, 'The administration imposed a curfew for two days, during which no shops or businesses were open. So how did the stock run out without any sales? Until before the protest, there was no gas shortage in the market. Traders are trying to create an artificial shortage.' Residents have reported not getting gas in places like Ramananda Chowk, Pidaari Chowk, Thapa Chowk, Bhanu Chowk, Murli Chowk, and Pethiya Bazaar in Janakpur. Some dealers are closed, and those that are open are only giving hope of future availability. Currently, the public is forced to roam from dealer to dealer with empty cylinders, and some are seen pleading at dealer fronts for gas. 'It seems like they are trying to black market by creating an artificial shortage of gas. Where are the administration and the government? Don't they need to monitor the market?' said Sunita Koiri, who runs a tea shop in Janakpur-8. 'I have a small shop and only one cylinder. The gas ran out, and when I went to get it, they sent me back saying there is none.' Consumers are facing extreme hardship due to the lack of gas in the market. Students living in rented rooms, nurses, and daily wage laborers are particularly affected. A gas seller, on condition of anonymity, said, 'There was no gas crisis until before the protests and demonstrations. I also don't understand how there is a shortage all of a sudden now.'