Concerns over LPG shortage have spread to the domestic sector, leading to panic booking of LPG cylinders, while server glitches in IVRS and other online booking systems have led to people queuing up outside distribution agencies, leading to chaos and panic among consumers as well as suppliers across the country.Consumers said despite government instructions to give priority to domestic LPG, supply at the ground level remains uncertain. Dealers say that while commercial LPG supplies have come to a complete halt, domestic LPG supplies have not been stopped, but deliveries have slowed down sharply.Amid the unprecedented surge in bookings through digital platforms including mobile apps and websites, servers crashed, forcing people in cities to rush to dealer outlets to get their cylinders refilled.LPG booking system not designed for heavy traffic: DistributorConsumers across the country complained that IVRS numbers, WhatsApp channels and other LPG booking systems are either inaccessible or unresponsive, and repeated attempts result in the same message – “Server down”. Many people who had already placed orders said they were receiving cancellation alerts.In Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Chennai and many other cities, women with small children, elderly people carrying empty cylinders and people going to office after taking leave from work were seen standing in long queues for hours outside LPG outlets.Shashikant Sharma, vice-president of the Federation of LPG Distributors of India, said the system was not designed to handle such heavy traffic. “Bookings have increased tenfold, so the system has become slow. We are working on this on the backend,” he said.The Nagpur bench of the Bombay HC on Thursday sought response from the Centre, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade and Confidence Petroleum India on a plea filed by six LPG distributors who argued that continuing LPG exports amid the shortage in the country is contrary to the government’s March 9 directive banning exports of essential commodities and giving priority to domestic supplies.The crisis has prompted employers after Infosys to issue alerts to employees. Cognizant has encouraged employees to adopt ‘bring your own food’ wherever possible. Hotels, restaurants, caterers, canteens, street vendors and other services continued to reduce menus, close outlets and switch to alternatives.