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Households across Nepal, including the Kathmandu Valley, are grappling with an acute shortage of cooking gas, even as Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) and traders insist that supplies remain adequate.

Consumers have complained of waiting weeks to purchase a single cylinder of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Despite widespread grievances, the state-owned oil monopoly maintains that imports are exceeding demand.

NOC Director Binit Mani Upadhyay said cooking gas is being imported from India in excess of consumer requirements. “The corporation has raised the import size to 48,000 to 49,000 metric tons, up from the normal 32,000 to 34,000 metric tons, citing soaring demand,” he stated.

According to NOC, daily imports have increased from 100 bullets of gas to 143. In the past 12 days, sales have risen from 108,000–110,000 cylinders per day under normal circumstances to 130,000 cylinders.

The shortage has also been linked to the government’s recent decision to resume selling fully filled 14.2 kg cylinders at the start of Fiscal Year 2026/27. Following the outbreak of the US–Iran war, NOC had earlier directed bottlers to distribute only half-filled 7.1 kg cylinders to ration supplies.

Traders echoed NOC’s stance, blaming consumer hoarding for the crisis. “There is no shortage of imports, but the tendency to store more cylinders than necessary has forced genuine consumers to suffer,” said one dealer, requesting anonymity.

The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection (DoCSCP) also clarified that overall supply remains satisfactory. While acknowledging moderate pressure on distribution due to heightened demand, officials said the market is not facing an actual shortage.