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Indore Restaurants Shut or Use Coal Amid Commercial LPG Shortage Crisis

A severe shortage of commercial LPG cylinders is crippling Indore's restaurant and food stall business, forcing some to shut down temporarily. Many small vendors are resorting to cooking with wood and coal to keep operating, while larger restaurants are shifting to traditional tandoors. The crisis, linked to the conflict in West Asia, has also led to long queues for domestic cylinders, affecting common citizens. The government has invoked the Essential Commodities Act, prioritizing household LPG consumption and increasing domestic production by 25%.

Key Points: Indore Restaurant Crisis: LPG Shortage Forces Closures, Coal Cooking

  • Restaurants temporarily shutting down
  • Food stalls using wood and coal
  • Larger restaurants relying on tandoors
  • Some switching to induction cooking
  • Shortage linked to West Asia conflict
2 min read

Commercial LPG shortage leads restaurants to temporarily shut down, some opts for alternate cooking arrangements in Indore

Indore restaurants face shutdowns as commercial LPG shortage hits. Owners resort to coal, tandoor, and induction cooking. Essential Commodities Act invoked.

"We are unable to get commercial cylinders due to the shortage. Now, I bought coal on which we are currently operating. - Anil, shop owner"

Indore, March 12

After Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal, the reported shortage of commercial LPG cylinders is affecting the restaurant and food business in Indore city as well, with several food stalls facing difficulties in continuing their operations.

Restaurant owners say they are unable to obtain commercial gas cylinders, resulting in some establishments temporarily shut down, and some food outlets selling tea, poha, and kachori are trying to keep their businesses running by using wood and coal for cooking.

"I run a tea and poha shop here. We are unable to get commercial cylinders due to the shortage. Now, I bought coal on which we are currently operating. We will see for a day or two, or else we will shut it down. We cannot rely on coal for a long time," said Anil, a local shop owner.

Meanwhile, some larger restaurants are relying on traditional tandoors and furnaces to prepare food in the absence of commercial LPG cylinders.

"We have been shifted in Tandoor for most of our food items and have stopped using the Tawa for the time being. We will use it till commercial cylinders are available again in the market. Our service is also affected due to it as preparation takes extra time than usual," said Ankur, restaurant operator.

On the other hand, some restaurant operators switched to alternatives like induction cooking in this hour of ongoing LPG cylinder shortage. The disruption is also being felt by common citizens, with long queues reported at several gas agencies for domestic LPG cylinders.

There has been a shortage of commercial LPG gas cylinders in the wake of the ongoing conflict in West Asia, after which the Centre invoked the Essential Commodities Act, prioritising domestic consumption.

Domestic LPG production has increased by about 25 percent and the entire domestic LPG production is being directed towards household consumers, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas said on Wednesday. The Home Affairs Ministry has strengthened a control room, now operating round-the-clock.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Feel so bad for the tea and poha stall owners. Their margins are already thin. Going back to coal is a health hazard too with all that smoke. Hope this gets resolved soon. Domestic users are also facing long queues at agencies.
R
Rohit P
While prioritizing households is understandable, completely neglecting the commercial sector will hurt the economy. Restaurants employ so many people. A balanced approach is needed.
S
Sarah B
Visiting Indore next week. Worried if our food plans will be affected. It's sad to see such a vibrant food culture being hit. Maybe time for more restaurants to seriously consider induction as a permanent backup.
V
Vikram M
The root cause is the conflict in West Asia impacting supplies. It's a global issue. Our agencies are trying to manage with the control room. We need to be patient and support our local eateries during this time. Jai Hind.
K
Karthik V
This is a wake-up call for energy diversification. We rely too much on LPG. Time to promote solar cookers and biogas, especially for commercial setups. It's sustainable and would prevent such crises.
M
Meera T
My heart goes out to the small vendors. A day's closure means no income for their family.

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