A cargo vessel carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from Texas in the United States arrived at New Mangalore Port in Mangaluru on Sunday amid reports of supply shortages in several cities in India.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said on Friday that charges for transportation of crude oil and LPG at New Mangalore port have been waived from March 14 to 31.
The move was aimed at facilitating faster handling of essential fuel supplies. The ministry also added that no congestion was reported at any port across the country, news agency ANI reported.
Ships sailing through the Persian Gulf were reported safe
During an inter-ministerial briefing, Shipping Ministry Special Secretary Rajesh Kumar Sinha also informed that all 22 Indian ships and 611 sailors on board are safe in the Persian Gulf amid the West Asian conflict, which has entered its fourth week.
“There has been no report of any maritime incident in the last 24 hours. All our 22 ships and 611 Indian sailors in the Persian Gulf region are safe and we are monitoring them round the clock,” Sinha said, according to the agency.
He also added that no congestion was reported at any port. Besides, “New Mangalore Port has issued a circular for waiving all charges related to crude oil and LPG cargo, which is valid from March 14 to March 31,” a shipping ministry official said.
LPG panic is easing
Over the past few weeks, several cities have witnessed a severe LPG supply crisis, prompting people to stand in long queues to stock their domestic supplies and switch to alternatives such as induction cooktops.
The shortage was triggered by the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran, which led to the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the key waterway through which India receives its LPG supplies.
India imports around 62-67% of its LPG, making it heavily dependent on foreign supplies. Meanwhile, nearly 85-90% of this supply comes through the Strait of Hormuz. As the route faced outages, supplies were also affected.
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However, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas recently said that panic bookings of LPG cylinders have dropped significantly, with only 55,000 bookings reported on Thursday.
At an inter-ministerial briefing, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, also highlighted the improvement in the LPG crisis and said, “Now there is no panic booking. Only 55,000 LPG bookings were reported yesterday.”
According to ANI, Sharma also reassured consumers by saying that there is no shortage of supply across the country. “There are sufficient supplies, no outlets are dry,” she said. But she admitted that some other concerns remain.
An Indian oil tanker has arrived in Gujarat
On Wednesday, the Indian-flagged oil tanker Jag Laadki successfully arrived at Adani Ports Mundra in Gujarat, marking a significant addition to the country’s energy imports.
Earlier, two Indian-flagged LPG carriers safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz before arriving in India on March 16 and 17. MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi transported around 92,712 metric tons of LPG through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, March 13, 2026, according to the news agency.
Key things
- US LPG cargo arrives at New Mangalore port amid fears of supply shortage in India.
- Government officials are actively monitoring and managing the LPG supply situation.
- Panic shopping has decreased significantly, indicating a return to normalcy in consumer behavior.
