With the West Asia war entering its 13th day and commercial shipping through the crucial Strait of Hormuz disrupted, the Centre has begun deploying alternative fuels such as kerosene, coal and biomass to cushion domestic energy supplies and protect household LPG availability.At an inter-ministerial briefing on Thursday, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Petroleum Ministry, said the government had initiated multiple contingency measures to manage fuel demand as imports through the Gulf faced disruptions.To ease pressure on cooking gas supplies, the Centre has released an additional 48,000 kilolitres of kerosene to states over and above the regular quarterly allocation of about one lakh kilolitres. State governments have been asked to identify priority beneficiaries to ensure targeted distribution.At the same time, the Coal Ministry has directed Coal India Ltd to increase coal supplies for small and medium consumers. In parallel, the Environment Ministry has advised state pollution control boards to temporarily permit the use of biomass, refuse-derived fuel (RDF) pellets, kerosene or coal by hospitality and restaurant establishments for one month during the crisis.Officials said these steps were aimed at freeing up LPG supplies for households and essential services such as hospitals and educational institutions.India currently imports nearly 60 per cent of its LPG requirement, with almost 90 per cent traditionally routed through the Strait of Hormuz, making closure of the waterway particularly challenging.To stabilise supplies, the government has invoked provisions of the Essential Commodities Act, directing refineries to maximise LPG production. As a result, domestic LPG output has been ramped up by 28 per cent of the country’s requirement.Sharma said India distributed nearly 50 lakh LPG cylinders daily through its nationwide network of close to one lakh fuel retail outlets, most operated by public sector oil marketing companies. No “dry-out” had been reported so far, she added.However, the authorities had observed a sharp spike in cylinder bookings triggered by public anxiety. “There has been a manifold increase in bookings due to panic. We urge citizens to avoid panic booking and conserve fuel wherever possible during this period of global uncertainty,” Sharma said.Despite the disruption in the Gulf shipping route, India’s crude oil supply situation remained “quite comfortable”, she said. Following government intervention, more than 70 per cent of crude imports were now arriving through routes other than the Strait of Hormuz.India consumes around 5.5 million barrels of oil daily, and its status as the world’s fourth-largest refining hub provides a strong buffer to maintain supplies of petrol and diesel across the country.Senior officials of oil marketing companies are in constant coordination with state governments to monitor distribution and ensure that fuel supplies remain stable as the conflict continues to disrupt energy flows in the Gulf region.