November 15: Thimphu residents have been facing a shortage in LPG cooking gas. According to distributors in the capital, the shortage of liquid petroleum gas has been caused by a strike in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Yesterday morning a large number of Thimphu residents gathered at the Bhutan Oil Distributors gas depot. They had all come to exchange their empty gas cylinders.

They have all been told that a consignment of LPG gas cylinders will be arriving in the morning. Not willing to miss their opportunity of changing their empty cylinders with filled ones, the residents have arrived in droves. A consignment of gas cylinders had arrived but before long it was empty.

Beside the gas cylinders stood scores of empty cylinders left behind by the customers. Some were not as lucky. They had to go back with their empty cylinders.

Employees working at the Bhutan Oil Distributors Gas Depot said yesterday morning alone they exchanged around 200 gas cylinders.

They said these days they distribute gas cylinders only between 8:30 am to 10:30 am in the morning.

Gas distributors like Damchen Petroleum and Bhutan Oil Distributors said the shortage of cooking gas supply will continue for another three or four days.

They said once the strike is over with the end of the Diwali festival, the problem will be solved.