Both National Fertilisers Limited (NFL) plants in Punjab — located at Nangal and Bathinda — have stopped production after the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) reduced liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply by up to 40 per cent.Highly placed sources told The Tribune that the authorities at the Nangal plant decided to go for the shutdown for repairs and maintenance following the reduction in gas supply. Normally, the plant shuts down in April after achieving production targets, but the shutdown this year has been advanced to early March because of the cut in LNG supply.Sources said both NFL plants in Punjab had halted operations, while NFL units in Panipat (Haryana) and Vijaypur (Madhya Pradesh) were still functional. The Vijaypur plant was operating at about half its capacity, whereas the Panipat plant was running at full capacity.Officials said the shutdown of the Punjab plants could affect urea supply in the state during the upcoming kharif season.Sources in the fertiliser sector said the Centre might consider importing additional urea from countries such as China and Russia to offset any shortfall in domestic production.Related news: LPG shortage puts 10,000 Punjab weddings at risk, sparks panic buyingOfficials also indicated that the government was prioritising piped natural gas supply meant for domestic consumption over LNG supplies to industrial units.Sources said the disruption in gas supply was linked to tension involving Iran and the US. Qatar, which supplies nearly 60 per cent of India’s LNG through companies such as Indian Oil and Petronet LNG, has reportedly disrupted shipments after energy infrastructure came under attack amid the conflict.Following the disruption, GAIL, which distributes LNG across the country, reduced gas supply to NFL plants at Nangal (Ropar district) and Bathinda. The supply was initially cut by about 10 per cent and later reduced to nearly 40 per cent.Chief General Manager of the Nangal plant BB Grover could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts. Officials said the NFL produced nearly 20 per cent of India’s total urea output.Experts warned that urea was a critical input during the kharif season and any shortage could affect agricultural productivity.Earlier, the NFL plants used coal as the primary fuel for fertiliser production. About a decade ago, they shifted to LNG as part of efforts to adopt cleaner and more efficient fuel.