Sri Vijaya Puram, July 16: Nearly three months after the last consignment of domestic LPG cylinders reached Great Nicobar, hundreds of households continue to remain without cooking gas, highlighting a prolonged disruption in the supply of an essential commodity to one of India’s remotest inhabited islands. The shortage has renewed concerns over the dependence of remote island communities on maritime transport and intensified demands for a long-term solution to ensure uninterrupted LPG availability.
According to local sources, the last consignment of domestic LPG cylinders reached Great Nicobar in April 2026. The island’s sole distributor, CCS Ltd., completed the final distribution on April 26. Since then, no fresh stock has reached the island, leaving consumers waiting for refills as available LPG cylinders have been exhausted.
Residents attributed the disruption to the non-availability of suitable cargo vessels for transporting LPG cylinders from South Andaman to Great Nicobar. In the absence of fresh supplies, many families have reverted to using firewood for cooking, while others are considering diesel-operated stoves to manage their daily household needs.
Local residents said the shortage is not an isolated incident but part of a recurring pattern affecting several islands in the Nicobar district. They maintained that shipping delays and logistical constraints frequently interrupt the movement of essential commodities, leaving island communities vulnerable to prolonged shortages.
Residents also questioned the adequacy of LPG consignments supplied to Great Nicobar. According to them, the island requires more than 3,000 LPG cylinders during every replenishment cycle to meet consumer demand. However, consignments often contain only around 1,500 to 2,000 cylinders, resulting in many households remaining without cooking gas for extended periods.
Rameshwari, Pradhan of Campbell Bay, said the LPG shortage has become a recurring problem in Great Nicobar. She stated that irregular arrival of ships remains the primary reason for the disruption, as vessel shortages frequently delay transportation of LPG cylinders to the island. According to her, the quantity of cylinders supplied varies significantly, with consignments sometimes containing around 2,000 cylinders and at times even fewer. She said the island requires more than 3,000 LPG cylinders during every supply cycle to meet the needs of its population and ensure uninterrupted availability.
The prolonged shortage has also raised concerns regarding future fuel requirements in view of the proposed Great Nicobar development project, which is expected to increase the island’s population. Residents pointed out that LPG cylinders are currently transported from the bottling plant in South Andaman and expressed concern that the existing supply mechanism may not be sufficient to meet future demand.
Seeking a permanent solution, residents have urged the authorities to establish an LPG bottling plant in Great Nicobar or develop piped gas infrastructure to reduce dependence on transported cylinders and strengthen the island’s fuel supply system.
The ongoing disruption comes against the backdrop of a similar LPG supply crisis in Katchal Island, where domestic cooking gas availability was recently affected due to logistical constraints and disruption of regular shipping services. In response, the Andaman and Nicobar Administration initiated alternate transportation arrangements and sought assistance from the Indian Navy to transport filled domestic LPG cylinders from Sri Vijaya Puram until regular shipping services could be restored.
When contacted by The Wave Andaman regarding the prolonged LPG shortage, CCS Chairman Ahmed Ali said he had no information about the issue and therefore declined to comment.
The recurring LPG shortages in Great Nicobar and Katchal underscore the continued dependence of remote island communities on maritime transport for essential commodities and the challenges that arise when regular shipping services are disrupted.
