U’khand eateries, hotels & hosps turn to alternatives amid commercial LPG shortage

Dehradun: With authorities prioritising domestic LPG supply, hotels and restaurants across Uttarakhand have been forced to look for alternative fuel options to keep their kitchens running. Many establishments have turned to traditional firewood stoves, hot plates and induction cooktops, while others have curtailed menus to conserve limited gas.In Dehradun, several eateries have switched to traditional cooking methods. "We haven't been able to buy fresh cylinders this month. Whatever little LPG we have is saved for earlier bookings. We have switched to firewood and hot plates. It takes longer to prepare food, but it is better than shutting down," said Neeraj Chauhan, proprietor of Café Commune in Malsi.Menus are also being cut to manage resources. "We already reduced the menu and removed dishes that require longer cooking time. There is absolutely no supply of commercial LPG. We are managing with traditional wood stovetops and inductions," said Eshaan Gupta, managing director of Saffron Leaf.Industry bodies said nearly 15% of hotels and restaurants in Dehradun are already fully or partially shut, warning that up to 60% of establishments could close in the coming days if the supply does not resume.Hoteliers alleged that the "shortage triggered black marketing" of LPG cylinders at around Rs 3,000 each in the grey market, far higher than the normal price of around Rs 1,700, which was recently increased to roughly Rs 1,840 following the Gulf crisis. "Cylinder toh lagta hai gold se bhi mehenga ho gaya, bahut sambhal ke rakhna hoga (cylinders now seem to have become more expensive than gold, so we'll have to handle them very carefully)," said a restaurant owner.The crisis has forced some entrepreneurs to abandon ventures altogether. Gyan Singh Chauhan, a resident of Tehri-Garhwal, rented a restaurant only days ago but was compelled to shut it before opening and return to his ancestral village.Gurpreet Singh, owner of Uss Da Dhaba, said, "We are compelled to reduce our menu by 50% and will have to shut down the dhaba very soon if the gas supply does not return to normal, which will directly affect our 15 staff and their families." He added that woodfire stoves had been set up, but the smoke was polluting the air.Hotel and restaurant associations held a meeting with the local administration, but no solution was found. "The alternative options are either woodfire or coalfire chulhas, but a huge quantity of wood or coal is unavailable in the market," Doon Valley Hotel Industrial Association secretary Pankaj Gupta told TOI. "We are ready to abide by whatever situation the govt is facing, but they should also consider alternatives where hoteliers can get wood or coal easily."The shortage has disrupted weddings and parties, with venues capping guest numbers. "Our hotel told us that if we want to maintain the same guest list, we need to arrange six cylinders on our own for our wedding in Mussoorie next month," said a bride from Dehradun.An Airbnb owner said they removed the cylinder from their property and updated the listing to specify induction-only kitchens. Concerns extend to hospitals, where mess operators were directed to make prior arrangements to ensure patient care is not compromised. A forest department source said records of available dry wood were sought for possible distribution as an alternate fuel.Senior administration officials inspected agencies on Saturday and maintained that there was adequate LPG stock in the district. They said hospital messes had sufficient supplies relative to their consumption. At a health department meeting, officials reported monthly consumption of 30 cylinders at Doon Medical College, eight each at Gandhi Shatabdi Hospital, the District Hospital and Chakshah Nagar Training Centre, and 12 at Indresh Hospital. Officials said an adequate supply of gas cylinders is available at these institutions daily.Meanwhile, Dehradun district administration late on Saturday said: "To ensure prompt and smooth supply of domestic gas to the general public, the distribution of domestic gas cylinders from the gas warehouse is being suspended with immediate effect. Consumers whose bookings are not being made via phone/MMS/app will be able to come to the gas agency only for gas booking. All gas agencies will ensure door-to-door gas distribution to consumers who have booked... QRT teams have been formed to monitor compliance."In Mussoorie, where there is significant footfall, hotels which currently report nearly 50% occupancy are sustaining kitchens with induction appliances, diesel stoves and coal tandoors. "We have installed four induction appliances and shifted staff meals to woodfire stoves. The menu has been reduced significantly, and we have stopped serving south Indian dishes," said hotelier Ashish Goel.In Bageshwar, restaurant and hotel operators reported a sharp fall in business, with menus drastically reduced. "Earlier we used to prepare nearly 60 to 70 items, but now we are managing with just three or four dishes. The restrictions severely affected our sales," said Neeraj Rawat, who runs a small restaurant.Manish Jakhwal, owner of Karan Sweets, said his establishment temporarily discontinued several popular items. "We stopped serving tea, chhole bhature and dinner for now. We understand the larger national interest and are trying to cooperate," he said.Workers employed in these establishments said they fear losing their jobs if the situation persists and that the uncertainty created anxiety similar to the economic disruptions seen during the Covid-19 pandemic. "Our employer told us that if things continue like this for another 10 days, the restaurant might have to shut down. If that happens, we don't know how our families will manage," said Manoj Parihar, an eatery worker.Meanwhile, the sudden shift to alternative cooking methods triggered a surge in demand for induction cooktops in the market. "We sold as many induction cooktops in the past three days as we sold in the previous two years," said electronics trader Kavi Joshi, adding that even suppliers were running short of stock. "We contacted two companies to place fresh orders, but there is a shortage there as well." (With inputs from Tanmayee Tyagi and Sukanta Mukherjee in Dehradun, Anmol Jain in Mussoorie and Yogesh Nagarkoti in Bageshwar)