Electric plates, microwaves and firewood: Restaurants improvise as LPG shortage bites

NEW DELHI: From induction cooktops and microwaves to firewood and solar options, restaurants, street food vendors and catering businesses across the country are scrambling for alternatives as a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders begins to disrupt kitchens amid the widening conflict in West Asia.

With the government prioritising domestic cooking gas supply to households as the war disrupts global fuel lifelines, businesses dependent on commercial LPG — from small eateries to high-end restaurants — are watching the situation anxiously, with some even staring at possible closure in the days to come.

In national capital Delhi, irregular LPG supply has gripped kitchens across the city and many restaurants are left with stock for a day or two, fearing temporary closure and concerns over staff wages. Industry representatives say many eateries in the capital are trying to manage the situation through adjustments.

The lawyers canteen at the Delhi High Court On Wednesday said it would halt its “main course” menu due to unavailability of cooking gas in its kitchen. However, services resumed shortly after securing LPG supply.

At the famous ‘Chappan Dukan’ street food hub in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, vendors have begun swapping traditional gas burners for electric appliances to keep the city’s food culture alive.

The shopkeepers say they will also consider adopting solar-powered appliances if necessary.

Gunjan Sharma, president of the city’s 56-shop Chaat Chowpatty Traders Association, told PTI, “The supply of commercial LPG cylinders has been stopped. Therefore, we have purchased electric appliances and started using them.”

Similar improvisations are being attempted elsewhere, with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) asking catering units in its western zone to switch to microwave ovens and induction plates.

In a communication issued on March 10, the IRCTC asked operators of food plazas, refreshment rooms and ‘Jan Ahaars’ to switch to alternative arrangements to maintain seamless catering services for travelling passengers.

In Uttarakhand, the government has begun preparing to supply firewood to businesses if the shortage deepens, with Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal saying that the current situation resembles a crisis scenario.

Restaurant owners and vendors in places like Puducherry and Rajasthan said their kitchens are under strain as supplies dry up, forcing them to reduce working hours to manage operations.

A spokesperson of a hotel association in Puducherry told PTI that most of the establishments have either shifted to using firewood or are minimising the working hours to manage the situation, while also opting for electric cookers.

“If the crisis continues even for a day, we would be left with no choice but to close down,” the spokesperson said.

Roadside restaurants remained closed in most parts of Puducherry, while eateries have reduced their menu in some other parts.

The disruption in supply has begun to hit businesses across Rajasthan. Restaurant owners said the shortage is already affecting kitchens, while expenses on weddings are also set to increase.

According to the Jaipur Catering Dealers Committee, the city has nearly 6,000 to 7,000 restaurants and dhabas that depend on commercial LPG cylinders. Additionally, several hostel kitchens, mess facilities and highway eateries also use commercial cylinders for daily cooking.

The wedding industry is also worried as the disruption comes during an active wedding season.

“The current wedding season continues till March 15 and will resume again after a month’s gap. Because of the LPG shortage, the cost of a wedding could rise by Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000,” Ravi Jindal, president of Rajasthan Tent Dealers Association, said.

Meanwhile, concerns over possible shortages have triggered panic buying and hoarding in some places.

In Karnataka’s capital Bengaluru, panic enquiries for domestic LPG cylinders have risen over the last few days, dealers said, adding that stocks are adequate as of now.

In West Bengal, long queues were seen outside gas agency offices and at LPG dispensation centres for auto-rickshaws, most of which run on liquified petroleum gas, in Kolkata and several other cities, including Siliguri and Jalpaiguri.

Authorities have also begun cracking down on hoarding and black-marketing.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi, police arrested seven men after an encounter and recovered more than 500 LPG cylinders stolen during Holi festivities.

The state government has put authorities on alert against rumours and possible black marketing of petrol, diesel and LPG, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directing officials to ensure strict monitoring and action against violators in the state.

Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa also warned LPG dealers against indulging in black marketing or “blackmailing” consumers during the crisis.

Amid the growing concerns, the government and oil companies have sought to reassure the people that domestic LPG cylinders remain secure.

The Indian Oil Corporation, which supplies LPG cylinders to almost 85 per cent of Northeast India, said it has adequate stocks to meet the demands and its nine bottling plants in the region were operating at full capacity.

Muniyappa also told the Karnataka Assembly that oil companies have assured of giving at least one domestic cylinder per month to every family.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said efforts were being made by the Centre and the state government to ensure an adequate supply of LPG cylinders to the people.

However, opposition leaders sharply criticised the Centre, accusing it of failing to prepare for disruptions in energy supplies.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge demanded a discussion in Parliament on the issue.

“The Modi Government’s fake ‘source-based’ assurances expose its utter incompetence. The Union Government prescient about the impending war in West Asia. Yet it did nothing to secure India’s energy supply,” he said in a post on X.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra too lashed out at the Centre.

“I am wondering, how much will the people tolerate. In the last 10 years, if you see, prices of all things have gone up, unemployment is rising, now look at the LPG situation,” Gandhi told reporters in the Parliament House complex.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Centre failed to ensure adequate reserves of cooking gas and petroleum products amid a nationwide shortage.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal slammed the Narendra Modi government for the “heavy LPG shortage” affecting people across the country and questioned the prime minister’s “support” for Israel and the US.

“There is a chance that almost 1 crore people would be unemployed because of the power shortage situation emerging,” he said.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged a shortage in supply of domestic cooking gas, accusing the BJP government of failing to ensure smooth distribution of LPG cylinders, and claiming that people are being denied refills despite waiting in long queues.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan sought Modi’s intervention to ensure an uninterrupted LPG supply and mitigate the impact of price rise.

India consumes about 31.3 million tonnes of LPG annually. As much as 87 per cent of this is in the domestic sector, i.e. household kitchens, and the rest in commercial establishments such as hotels and restaurants.

Of this total requirement, as much as 62 per cent is met through imports. The US-Israel attacks on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation have shut the Strait of Hormuz, a key sea route through which India gets 85-90 per cent of its LPG imports from West Asian nations, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. (PTI)