LPG ‘crunch’ eats into eateries’ business, coal price spikes

Eateries have cut their menus, increased prices, while many have moved to coal to surmount the LPG crisis, even as two Indian ships carrying the domestic gas from the Gulf countries crossed the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday morning.
LPG carriers Shivalik and Nanda Devi are now headed to Mundra and Kandla ports in Gujarat, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Shipping, told a media briefing.
The vessels are carrying 92,700 tonnes of LPG, he said, adding Shivalik is likely to reach Mundra on March 16, and Nanda Devi is likely to dock at Kandla the next day.
The West Asia conflict has impacted the supply of crude oil and petroleum products, following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow water passage between Iran and Oman.
In Delhi, large corporate gatherings and group parties are now taking a backseat in restaurant calendars, as eateries scale back menus and bookings amid the crunch.
Restaurant owners, particularly in Connaught Place, one of the city’s busiest dining hubs, said that preparing food for large tables requires significant gas usage, prompting many establishments to temporarily halt big party bookings while focusing on regular diners. State authorities cracked down on hoarding and booked several people.
The Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Department seized 316 domestic LPG cylinders allegedly being used for commercial purposes.
Uttar Pradesh’s Food and Civil Supplies Department conducted raids at 1,483 locations here and arrested six people in an operation to check black marketing of cooking gas.
LPG distribution centres in Kolkata and several districts of West Bengal witnessed large queues at the doors of gas agencies.
Several restaurants and eateries have reduced meal options on the menu, with many switching to wood and charcoal-based cooking.
A section of autorickshaws running on LPG was also off the roads and in the adjacent districts, owing to “irregular supply” at the filling stations.
Hotels and restaurants operating in Chennai and parts of Tamil Nadu have commenced using alternative methods to keep the business running.
In Kerala, the gas crunch has triggered an exodus of migrant workers to their native places, as Ramzan approaches and elections loom in West Bengal and Assam.
The Tamil Nadu government has announced a subsidy of Rs 2 per unit of electricity for restaurants, hotels and tea shops that switch to electric stoves.