Menus shrink, queues grow: How LPG shortage worry is taking over Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, other Indian cities

COncerns o'er LPG shortage amid the on-going w Asia contravene ar rippling across several Indian cities, raising worry about a wider supply crunch. Even as the government has cautioned people against panic causing rumors and urged calm, irregular supplies and a rise in prices of both domestic and commercial LPG have prompted households and businesses to look for alternatives fearing the shortage would grow.In Delhi, community kitchens such as langars and Atal canteens are cutting menu options. Mess operators in student areas of Pune report irregular cylinder availability and rising costs, while in Bengaluru auto-rickshaw drivers using LPG say sudden price increases have added to their expenses.The shortage is linked to the escalating conflict in West Asia, which has disrupted energy supply routes and LPG shipments to several importing countries, including India.Follow here for live updatesStop selling snacks, only tea: Delhi's canteensIn the national capital, several canteens in schools and colleges, where food prices are expected to remain concessional for students, are already feeling the strain.One canteen at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has begun curtailing its menu, HT reported.Vijay Mukhiya, who runs a canteen at the School of Languages, said he will stop selling snacks from Monday and only offer tea.Students living on campus also said the popular Ganga Dhaba may limit its menu to tea and bread omelette, discontinuing other meals.The Delhi School of Economics (DSE) canteen has also temporarily removed, among other things, its iconic mutton dosa from the menu. Owner Souvik Gupta said, “If the situation continues, we may have to remove several more items because we cannot increase food prices in university establishments where the rates are fixed.”Also Read | After commercial LPG supply crisis, domestic consumers in Kerala face booking issuesTaking leave from work, never-ending queues in MumbaiIn Mumbai, single-cylinder households are among the worst hit, prompting many residents to take leave from work so they can wait for a refill. Queues were seen from Kandivali in the western suburbs to Dharavi and Bhandup in the eastern suburbs, HT reported.While housing societies and residential complexes in large parts of Mumbai receive piped natural gas (PNG), older housing societies and lower socio-economic areas remain dependent on LPG suppliers.In a slum colony in Malwani, Malad, Humale Yadavar, 44, had booked an LPG cylinder almost a month ago. On Thursday, Yadavar waited outside the LPG dealer’s office with his daughters for almost an hour before managing to fetch one cylinder.“If this is the situation after booking so much in advance, imagine just how bad things are,” said Selvy Kaundar, 44.Also Read | 'Catastrophic closure': Restaurants in fear, govt prioritises home LPG supply as India faces West Asia war ripplesIncreased meal prices, sharing single tiffin in PuneAbout 154 km away, in Pune, mess operators in traditional student localities have reported difficulty in procuring cylinders, forcing many to raise meal prices while others consider a temporary shutdown.For students, the disruption is already affecting their daily routines and budgets, with many now searching for smaller household kitchens or eateries that still manage to cook with limited gas supplies.Sarang Dukare, a student from Marathwada, said, “Most of us depend on affordable mess services for two meals a day. With some messes closing and others increasing prices, we are now trying to find small household messes in nearby lanes.Now two of us share a single tiffin because we simply cannot afford the higher rates.”Also Read | LPG shortage, fuel price hike hits autos, canteens in BengaluruUncertainty of supply and prices in BengaluruIn Bengaluru, auto-rickshaw drivers using LPG said a sudden price increase has hit them, with auto LPG rates rising by about ₹10 per litre within two days. The hike has added to the financial strain on drivers already dealing with higher fuel costs.Fuel station workers said they were facing supply disruptions that limited how much LPG they could sell.The shortage has also raised concerns about the functioning of Indira Canteens in Bengaluru, according to people in the municipal body.The canteens, a flagship welfare initiative started during chief minister Siddaramaiah’s earlier tenure between 2013 and 2018, provide subsidised meals for the urban poor. Around 180 such canteens operate in the city, serving breakfast for ₹5 and meals for ₹10.Trimmed menus, shutdowns and wood-fired ovens in KolkataRestaurants across Kolkata are also grappling with a severe shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, forcing several eateries to trim menus, raise prices and even consider temporary closure, industry representatives said on Thursday, PTI reported.Several food joints have also shifted to wood-fired ovens to cope with the crisis.The disruption in supply follows the recent escalation in West Asia that has affected LPG imports into India.Ajmer takes to coal and wood cookingIn Ajmer, several hotels and restaurants have begun reverting to traditional fuels as LPG supplies tighten. Many eateries have shifted to coal and wood for cooking, triggering a sharp rise in demand, PTI reported.He said daily wood consumption has risen from around 100 kg to 200–250 kg, and demand is expected to increase further in the coming days.Maan Kewalramani, another trader, said that rising demand has affected prices. “Coal, which earlier sold for ₹30 per kg, is now around ₹35 per kg. Similarly, wood has increased from ₹8 per kg to nearly ₹10 per kg. Many hotel owners are making bulk bookings to avoid fuel shortages in the near future,” he said.As the West Asia conflict continues to disrupt energy supply routes, the pressure on LPG availability in India could intensify in the coming weeks, raising concerns for households, small businesses and food services that depend heavily on it.