Restaurants across India are facing a severe shortage in commercial cooking gas, with the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) warning of 'catastrophic closures' if the crisis is not addressed.
The crisis is caused by rising energy costs and supply constraints due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, and has been exacerbated by a recent Centre directive prioritizing domestic LPG supply.
Hotels and restaurants in Bengaluru are likely to be affected from Tuesday, with the Bangalore Hotels Association (BHA) stating that hotel operations will be closed due to the halt in commercial gas cylinder supply.
In Gurugram, several restaurants have reported disruption in commercial LPG cylinder supply, forcing them to consider alternative arrangements such as domestic cylinders or electric cooking equipment.
The Pune Municipal Corporation has temporarily closed the city's gas crematoriums due to restrictions on the use of LPG components.
The minimum waiting period for booking a domestic LPG cylinder refill has increased from 21 to 25 days to prevent hoarding and black market.
