Little relief expected from cooking gas shortages in India

New Delhi: People in India can expect a little relief in the midst of cooking gas shortages as two ships carrying 92,700 metric tons of LPG are expected to reach the country’s shores soon.

The Indian government today said 2 Indian ships, each carrying more than 46,000 metric tons of LPG, have crossed the Strait of Hormuz and are headed home.

At the same time, several other vessels of India remain stranded in the Gulf region as Iran has choked the  maritime route which is critical for global movement of petroleum products.

Addressing the media here, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Some ships destined for India have been able to cross through the Straits of Hormuz. Two Indian ships, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, crossed the Strait of Hormuz and are now headed to ports in India.

He said each of these two ships is carrying more than 46,000 metric tons of LPG, with a cumulative of 92,700 metric tons.

At the same time, he said, “Several of our ships remain in standby in the Gulf region. We propose to continue to remain in touch and coordinate with all concerned countries to ensure a safe and unimpeded transit for them in an effort to ensure our energy security.”

Jaiswal said India has continuously emphasised that one of its priorities has been the need to ensure unimpeded transit of goods and energy.

“We have also called for the avoidance of targeting civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, across the region. We believe that these are the priorities of a large part of the global community,” he said.

“Since the impact of the conflict is being felt globally… We have remained in touch with all important interlocutors, including all the Gulf Cooperation Council members, Iran, the U.S., and Israel, at various political and diplomatic levels, in an effort to engage with them and underline our priorities, especially concerning our energy security,” the spokesman said.

He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to his counterparts in the region and in the last few days, the External Affairs Minister and Indian embassies have also been in close touch with their interlocutors.

“In the process, the concerns of other key actors, such as shipping lines, etc., have also had to be addressed,” he added.

Meanwhile, several Iranian nationals, including diplomats and crew of an Iranian ship docked in Kochi, have been airlifted back home.

These Iranian citizens were stranded in India owing to the widespread flight disruptions on account of the conflict in the Middle East.

“The Iranian authorities arranged a chartered flight to take back these stranded nationals, which included Iranians who were visiting India as tourists or were stationed here as diplomats. The flight took off from Kochi last night,” Jaiswal said.

The passengers also included the non-essential crew of IRIS Lavan, which remains docked in Kochi, he added.