Gas crisis deepens amid Middle East war, forcing hotels and restaurants to shut down.

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): A sudden shortage of commercial LPG cylinders in several parts of the country has created serious concern among hotels, restaurants and other businesses that depend on cooking gas. Restaurant associations in Maharashtra and Karnataka have warned that if the supply situation does not improve soon, many eateries may be forced to shut down. In Bengaluru, several hotels and restaurants have already suspended operations in protest against the shortage.

The impact of the gas crisis is being felt in cities such as Mumbai and Bengaluru. Rising tensions in West Asia and disruptions in global supply have reportedly affected the availability of LPG, leaving hotel and restaurant owners struggling to obtain commercial cylinders. To ensure priority supply for domestic consumers, LPG companies have temporarily stopped refilling commercial cylinders of 19, 47.5 and 425 kg. As a result, commercial gas supply to many establishments has slowed significantly, while domestic cylinder deliveries are also being delayed by several days.

The shortage has also affected several other regions. Punjab has suspended the supply of non-domestic LPG cylinders since March 8, while refilling of commercial cylinders has been halted in some areas including Ghaziabad. In Himachal Pradesh’s Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial belt, the supply of commercial cylinders has been stopped indefinitely, affecting various industries. Reports of LPG black marketing have also surfaced in some places, where cylinders are allegedly being sold at higher prices, even as agencies claim they have sufficient stock.