The Centre on Tuesday said the second LPG carrier Nanda Devi has reached India and begun discharge operations, even as it urged citizens to use cooking gas “rationally” and switch to alternate fuels such as induction stoves and piped natural gas (PNG) wherever possible amid a still “concerning” supply situation.Officials said panic booking of LPG cylinders has begun to ease, with refill requests declining from a peak of nearly 89 lakh on March 13 to about 70 lakh, indicating a downward trend. However, the government maintained that the overall supply situation continues to require close monitoring.At a high-level inter-ministerial briefing on the West Asia crisis, the Petroleum Ministry said domestic LPG supply remains uninterrupted, with daily distribution ranging between 50 lakh and over 62 lakh cylinders in recent days. “There has been no decline in supply to households,” an official said, adding that commercial and bulk LPG supplies have been curtailed to prioritise domestic consumers.Providing a clearer picture of incoming supplies, officials indicated that a single LPG carrier typically carries around 45,000 metric tonnes of LPG. Based on preliminary estimates, the official said that total LPG cargo linked to the currently tracked vessels is in the range of about 3 lakh metric tonnes, though precise figures are being compiled and will be shared later.The ministry said the reported 17 per cent drop in LPG consumption in March was a result of these curbs on commercial usage rather than any fall in household demand.Reiterating its appeal, the Centre urged commercial establishments to shift to PNG and advised households to adopt alternative cooking options such as induction and electric cooktops wherever feasible. States have also been asked to fast-track approvals for pipeline infrastructure and waive local levies to expand PNG networks.On the supply side, officials said domestic LPG production from refineries has been ramped up by about 38 per cent by diverting feedstock streams into the LPG pool, while imports are being diversified beyond the Gulf region, including recent procurement from the United States.The Shipping Ministry said both LPG carriers — Shivalik and Nanda Devi — are currently discharging cargo at Kandla. In the case of Nanda Devi, ship-to-ship transfer operations are underway. Officials, however, declined to specify timelines for the next shipments, even as several Indian vessels remain stalled west of the Strait of Hormuz.Amid speculation over possible negotiations for safe passage, the government ruled out reports that Iran had sought the release of three vessels in exchange for allowing Indian ships to cross the Strait of Hormuz.“There has been no discussion of any exchange arrangement between India and Iran. Such reports are baseless,” senior MEA official Randhir Jaiswal said, adding that the vessels referred to were neither Iranian-owned nor tankers.The government said it is in touch with Iran and other countries to ensure the safe movement of Indian vessels stranded in the region.Providing an update on seafarers, Shipping Ministry official Rajesh Kumar Sinha said 161 Indian sailors have been repatriated in the past 24 hours after signing off from ships in the Gulf. “All our sailors and ships are safe. We remain in constant contact through our missions and shipping stakeholders,” he said.Officials also dismissed reports that hundreds of containers were lying unattended on roads at Jawaharlal Nehru Port, clarifying that the containers were located at designated container freight stations, warehouses and factory premises in accordance with port policy.The government said it is also monitoring rising freight and insurance costs, particularly the “war risk premium” being imposed by some shipping lines. Stakeholders have been asked to provide specific details, with authorities warning against abnormal increases in charges.On the diplomatic front, the MEA official said five Indian nationals have died in recent incidents in the Gulf region, while one remains missing. The mortal remains of two Indians killed in Sohar, Oman, were brought back to Jaipur on Tuesday.Fifteen Indian crew members evacuated from a vessel off Basra in Iraq are currently safe and awaiting repatriation, with Indian missions coordinating with Iraqi authorities for their return.The MEA also said the ongoing West Asia conflict figured in External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s recent discussions with European counterparts on the sidelines of a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, where energy security concerns were also raised.Responding to questions on whether India could mobilise BRICS to bridge differences among countries involved in the conflict, the government said the grouping operates on consensus and several of its members are directly linked to the ongoing crisis.“As India currently holds the presidency, we remain engaged with all stakeholders. But given that some BRICS members themselves are directly involved in the conflict, bridging the gap between differing positions is difficult,” an MEA official said.Officials reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path to de-escalation, urging all sides to exercise restraint while India continues engagement with all parties amid the unfolding crisis.