Gas shortages push India’s poor back to wood and coal

SOARING black-market prices of cooking gas in India’s capital are pushing poorer families back to wood and coal, raising health risks and worsening air quality in the highly polluted megacity.

LPG shortages are reported in several parts of India as a result of conflicts in West Asia that have disrupted global energy supply chains.

As a result, a number of households and small businesses have been unable to obtain a consistent supply of cooking gas and have turned to firewood as an alternative.

India is the world’s second-largest buyer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is used for cooking. The country sources its supplies primarily from the Middle East, but those have been strangled by the ongoing war.

Reports from the state of Kerala indicate that soaring LPG prices and supply shortages have led some restaurants and eateries to revert to using firewood to cook their daily meals, including traditional menus.

Activists say that while there are no real shortages yet, the high prices are a result of increased hoarding.

“Many migrants depend on black-market cylinders, and prices have gone up two to three times,” one activist, Deepak from the Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR), told AFP.

On Sunday, at a cabinet meeting, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged states to curb black marketing and avoid panic. He also stressed that India’s energy supplies remain stable.

The LPG shortage is not only affecting households but also small businesses that rely on gas for their daily operations.

In some communities, food preparation is taking longer, operating costs are rising, and the use of firewood is raising environmental and health concerns due to smoke.

The government and energy authorities in India are monitoring the situation and are working to stabilise LPG supplies and prioritise household use amid uncertainty due to global supply chain disruptions.

The city’s 30 million residents regularly have to reckon with toxic levels of pollution due to a deadly mix of emissions from power plants, heavy traffic, as well as the burning of rubbish and crops.

Greater use of wood and coal will likely only worsen air quality in the highly polluted megacity.

Burning wood, coal and biomass indoors also exposes families to high levels of smoke and toxic particles, increasing the risk of respiratory illnesses.

Women and children, who spend more time near cooking areas, are especially vulnerable. – March 25, 2026