‘Do not keep it’: Raigad officials issue advisory after LPG cylinders swept away

Officials in Maharashtra’s Raigad district have issued an advisory telling residents not to keep or use any LPG cylinder they come across, after monsoon floodwaters swept around 3,000 cylinders out of a Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) bottling plant in Patalganga, near Panvel.

In a statement, the district administration said anyone who finds a cylinder should hand it over to HPCL, the nearest authorised HPCL distributor, or deposit it at the Tehsildar’s offices in Khalapur or Pen, or the Sub-Divisional Officer’s office in Pen.

The advisory followed videos showing the cylinders, some filled with gas and others empty, floating down the Patalganga River, with several locals seen wading into the water to try to retrieve them despite the strong current.

Raigad District Collector Kishan Jawale personally appealed to residents to stay away from any cylinders found in the river or washed ashore, while the Raigad District Information Office posted a similar alert on X. Officials said they are continuing efforts to trace and recover the missing cylinders.