New Delhi, March 11, IPU Media Update News: The tremors of the war that is going on somewhere 3,000 km away are affecting the kitchens of India, hotels and restaurants that are completely dependent on commercial LPG. The impact of the Iran conflict, the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz (Hormuz is located between Iran to the north and Oman) has led to a shortage of cooking gas in our country. For the past few days, scenes of consumers standing in queues outside LPG agencies with empty cylinders have been seen on social media. However, the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders is rapidly spreading to many cities in the country. There are reports of hotels and restaurants closing in large numbers due to the shortage of commercial LPG in cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and others. The main reason for this crisis is that India depends on imports for more than 60 percent of its domestic LPG requirement. About 85-90 percent of this has to be supplied through the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran has affected India’s LPG imports. India consumes about 31 million tonnes of LPG annually. Of this, 87 percent is used for cooking in the domestic sector, while the rest goes to hotels and restaurants.
** Severe impact on hotels in 8 states in the country**
With the West Asian conflicts entering their second week, the disruption in the supply of commercial cylinders has started affecting the hospitality sector. A temporary ban on commercial LPG supply has been imposed in several states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi. With restaurants and hotels in many cities closing due to this ban! Hotel owners are pleading with the government to restore the supply. Similarly, if the gas supply crisis continues, everything from masala dosa to chili bajji is likely to become expensive. Many hotels and restaurants still do not have PNG connections or alternative arrangements like electric cooking systems.
**20 percent of hotels closed in Mumbai**is
The situation in Mumbai is getting worse. Mumbai Hotels Association Ahar (AHAR) has announced that 20 percent of hotels and restaurants in the city have already closed. Ahar has warned that up to 50 percent of hotels may close in the next two days if the supply of commercial cylinders does not improve. Hotels in Dadar and Andheri have reduced the food menu. Some hotels are operating only for a few hours to save LPG. The main reason for the shortage of LPG in restaurants is that the central government is giving priority to domestic consumers in gas supply. Restaurant owners have revealed that the supply of commercial LPG cylinders has stopped since Sunday.
** Hotel closure in Bengaluru**
The gas supply situation in Karnataka’s IT hub Bengaluru is no different. Due to the unavailability of commercial LPG, many hotels are resorting to traditional wood-burning stoves for cooking. The Bengaluru Hotels Association said that the LPG shortage will severely affect hotels across Bengaluru city from Wednesday. Although oil companies had earlier assured that there would be no impact on LPG supply for 70 days, the sudden cessation of LPG supply is a death blow to hotels, the hotels association said. people are discussing that the ‘Vidyarthi Bhavan’, a famous tiffin center in Bengaluru, is likely to close soon.
** Gas supply crisis in Kolkata**
Many restaurants and bakeries are closing down in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, as LPG stocks are completely depleted. The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India said that commercial LPG supply was limited till Monday and has completely stopped since Tuesday morning. While the central government claims that there is no shortage of LPG cylinders, the situation on the ground is different, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) said.
** Gas supply crisis in Chennai**
The gas supply situation in Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai has become more critical. Commercial LPG distributors have already stopped the supply of cylinders due to lack of stock. As a result, many hotels and restaurants have closed, the Chennai Hotel Association said in a letter to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri. The popular hotel Annapurna in Chennai has reduced its food items on its menu and reduced the hotel’s operating hours.
— M Venkata T Reddy
