Chennai: A worsening shortage of cooking gas cylinders is beginning to disrupt daily life in Chennai, compelling numerous restaurants, bakeries, and tea shops to scale down operations or adopt alternative cooking methods, including firewood and electric stoves.
The crisis is affecting not only commercial LPG supplies but also domestic cylinders. Industry sources attribute the shortage to disruptions in fuel supply chains caused by the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
India relies heavily on imports of liquefied petroleum gas and refined crude derivatives from countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia for LPG production. With imports currently constrained due to geopolitical tensions, the availability of cooking gas has declined sharply.
The Central government has assured households of an uninterrupted LPG supply. In response, gas manufacturing companies have reportedly reduced or halted production of commercial cylinders to prioritise domestic consumption. As a result, restaurants, bakeries, and tea stalls across Chennai and its suburbs are struggling to procure commercial LPG cylinders.
Many establishments have been operating with the limited stock available over the past two days. Several small and medium-sized eateries that have run out of supplies have temporarily closed, while others have drastically curtailed their menus.
Typically, a lunch service would include sambar, curry gravies, buttermilk gravy, rasam, poriyal, aviyal, and papad. Currently, many restaurants are serving only one gravy and a single chutney. Notices informing customers about the limited menu have been displayed outside several establishments. Simple dishes like tomato rice, tamarind rice, and lemon rice, which require less fuel, have become the focus.
Some non-vegetarian restaurants have suspended omelette preparations, while tea shops have halted the making of snacks such as vada and bajji. In areas like Nungambakkam and Egmore, several popular restaurants have switched to cooking with charcoal, firewood, or electric stoves.
This sudden shift has triggered a surge in demand for firewood, driving up prices. Restaurant owners report that the cost of a ton of firewood has risen by Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 in recent days.
Educational institutions have also been affected. College and university hostels across the city face a severe shortage of gas cylinders. Some have temporarily closed hostels while continuing classes online. A private medical college in Chennai has announced that regular classes will remain suspended from March 12 to March 25, with teaching continuing in online mode. A circular from the administration instructed hostel students to vacate their rooms, although faculty and staff are expected to report to campus as usual.
Restaurant owners warn that if commercial gas supplies are not restored promptly, many establishments may be forced to shut down permanently.
With IANS inputs