Delhi is witnessing a slow but concerning migration trend as rising LPG prices and supply shortages push migrant workers out of the city. What began as a fuel supply issue has now turned into a larger economic crisis affecting livelihoods, small businesses, and the urban workforce.
Despite official claims that cooking gas supply remains stable, ground reports suggest otherwise. Many migrant workers in Delhi–NCR are struggling to access LPG or are forced to buy it at extremely high prices.
Workers report paying ₹400–₹450 per kg for small quantities of gas in the informal market, making daily cooking unaffordable. For low-income earners making around ₹10,000–₹17,000 per month, such expenses are unsustainable.
As a result, many are choosing to return to their home states like Bihar, where living costs are lower and basic survival is easier.
Railway routes from Delhi to states like Bihar are seeing an increase in migrant workers heading back home. Many workers say they have been facing difficulties in accessing LPG for over two weeks, forcing them to leave the city.
This migration trend is not sudden but gradual. Groups of workers, including tailors, construction labourers, and gig workers, are leaving in batches as conditions worsen.
The LPG crisis is severely affecting small-scale businesses that depend on cooking gas:
- Street food vendors and dhabas are increasing food prices
- Some eateries are shutting down or reducing menus
- Daily wage workers are cutting down on meals
Small vendors, especially those in informal sectors, rely on LPG for their daily operations. With prices rising, their profit margins are shrinking, making it difficult to sustain their businesses.
Migrant workers are facing the harshest impact due to structural issues:
- Many lack documents required for official LPG connections
- They depend on costly informal gas markets
- No access to subsidised government schemes
Because of this, they often end up paying double or even triple the official price for cooking gas.
This inequality is pushing them out of cities, reversing years of urban migration.
The crisis is linked to global geopolitical tensions, especially disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz — a key route for LPG imports.
India depends heavily on LPG imports, with a large portion passing through this route. Any disruption leads to supply shortages and price spikes across the country.
The LPG crisis is not just about cooking gas—it is affecting the entire urban economy:
- Rising cost of living in cities
- Reduced workforce availability
- Disruptions in manufacturing and gig economy
- Fear of job losses and instability
In many ways, the situation is drawing comparisons to the migrant crisis seen during the COVID-19 lockdown, though on a smaller scale.
