Cooking Gas Shortages Drive Indian Migrant Workers Back to Their Villages

Wed Apr 15 2026 17:07:18 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A critical shortage of cooking gas cylinders in India is forcing migrant workers and their families to consider leaving the cities they've settled in for a return to their villages as the ongoing crisis continues to disrupt their livelihoods.

In the capital city of Delhi and other major urban centers like Mumbai and Bengaluru, migrant workers are facing severe shortages of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) due to the disruption of global shipments caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East. Many domestic helpers struggle to find cooking gas as international supply chains remain strained, prompting some to contemplate returning to their home villages while grappling with rising living costs and limited alternatives for cooking. Experts warn that sustained reverse migration could significantly impact various labor-intensive sectors reliant on this workforce.

Every morning, Shakuntala Devi and Shakiba Bibi - neighbours at a slum in India's capital Delhi - leave their homes, walking from one shop to another in search of a cooking gas cylinder.

For three weeks now, they have returned empty handed.

If it continues like this for a few more days, we will run out of gas in our kitchens and have to return to our villages, Shakuntala says.

Shakuntala, Shakiba, and many of their neighbours, who join them in the cylinder hunt, work as domestic helpers in middle-class neighbourhoods near the slum, earning around 15,000 rupees (£122; $161) a month. Their families migrated to Delhi from villages in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and eastern Bihar state over the past decade.

The disruption to global shipments caused by the war in the Middle East has strained cooking gas supplies in India. Many people are finding it difficult to access Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders, the most widely used cooking fuel in the country.

India depends heavily on LPG imports, much of which reach the country through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow, critical shipping route affected by the conflict. While Iran is now allowing Indian vessels to pass, the situation is still uncertain and several ships are waiting near the strait to get through.

The government says there is no shortage of LPG, that it is ramping up domestic production and securing more supplies from countries including the US, Russia, and Australia. It has also asked people to stop panic ordering of gas cylinders.

However, migrant workers in big cities, many of whom depend on informal networks to buy cooking gas, say they are worried.

The BBC spoke to nearly 30 migrant workers in Delhi who said they would have to return to their villages if the situation did not improve.

News reports and visuals of crowded railway stations and bus terminals suggest the situation is similar in cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad, where large numbers of migrant workers live and work. In some areas, shutdowns in industries such as textiles, jewellery, and ceramics have also forced workers to return home.

Many of those who left say they are watching the situation closely to decide when they can return.

There was no cooking gas available. Even local restaurants were shut. I was struggling to eat two meals a day, so I had to return home, Ashok Yadav told the BBC over the phone from his village in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya town. He worked in a catering firm in Delhi.

Last month, the government asked refineries to prioritise gas distribution for households over businesses. This forced many small restaurants to trim their menus or temporarily shut down as they could not afford commercial gas cylinders.

The shortage is also pushing some towards more polluting fuels such as firewood, kerosene, and coal.

Sushila Devi, a tea shop owner in Delhi, shares that she's been using firewood for both her shop and home. I have not been able to get a gas cylinder for nearly four weeks, she states. The price of firewood is rising quickly, and it is not a long-term option anyway. If the gas shortage continues, she will have to return to her village.

Others express more optimism about the situation. Brij Kumar, who recently returned to his village, believes the situation will improve once the conflict ends. However, many remain in a state of uncertainty regarding their future.

Experts warn that sustained reverse migration could have significant repercussions on India's economy, especially for sectors that depend heavily on migrant labor.