Kathmandu, Aug. 1 -- Chandrakala Paudel, a homemaker from Imadol, is worried. She has been unable to get a cooking gas cylinder and has been relying on a half-filled 7.1 kg cylinder that is about to run out.

"I have another empty cooking gas cylinder at home. I have been trying to get it refilled for the past few weeks, without success," she said. "I am really worried."

Pradeep Mahara, a bachelor's student from Kirtipur, spent an entire day on Wednesday searching for a cooking gas cylinder.

"I searched from morning to evening at every local grocery shop. Some stores were even asking for extra money to provide a cylinder," Mahara said.

"The local grocery shops said there was a shortage. They even asked for an extra Rs400," he said.

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