LPG Shortage Hits Pune: Restaurants Shut Doors as Households Struggle to Get Gas Cylinders
LPG Shortage Hits Pune: Restaurants Shut Doors as Households Struggle to Get Gas Cylinders
A sudden shortage of LPG cylinders in Pune is beginning to disrupt both everyday life and local businesses. What started as difficulty in getting cooking gas for homes has now spread to the city’s food industry, forcing several well-known eateries to shut temporarily while many others fear they may soon have to do the same.
The situation has reportedly been triggered by the ongoing tensions and conflict in the Gulf region involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Within just a week, the ripple effects have begun to reach ordinary households in Pune, where residents say that obtaining a cooking gas cylinder has become increasingly difficult. In many cases, people are struggling even to register a booking for a refill.
Over the past two to three days, residents have reported repeated issues while trying to book LPG cylinders. Several citizens say the official contact numbers used for cylinder bookings are not responding, leaving them with no choice but to visit gas agencies in person. This has resulted in long queues outside many agencies across the city and surrounding areas.
Adding to the frustration, many gas distributors currently do not have adequate stock to meet the sudden demand. People waiting in line often have to spend hours in the heat, only to return without clear information about when the next supply will arrive. Although the government has stated that restrictions apply mainly to commercial LPG cylinders and that domestic supply should not face disruptions, many households claim they are still finding it difficult to obtain cylinders for regular use.
The shortage is also beginning to impact Pune’s large food service sector. Due to restrictions on the supply of commercial LPG cylinders, hotels, restaurants, eateries and street food vendors across the city are facing uncertainty about how long they can continue operating.
One of the city’s oldest restaurants, Badshahi, which has been serving customers in Pune since 1960, has already announced a temporary shutdown for two days because of the lack of LPG cylinders. A notice informing customers about the closure has been displayed outside the restaurant.
Other establishments have also been affected. Modern Restaurant in the Shivajinagar area has been closed, while Shegaon Kachori Center has also decided to suspend operations for the time being due to the gas shortage.
Industry representatives warn that the situation could worsen if supplies are not restored soon. According to Ganesh Shetty, President of the Pune Hotel Association, many businesses currently have gas reserves that will last only two to three days. If fresh cylinders are not made available quickly, nearly 80 percent of hotels in the city could be forced to shut down in the coming days.
Running a restaurant requires a steady supply of LPG. Even a small hotel with around ten tables typically consumes at least one cylinder a day. Vegetarian restaurants that prepare popular items such as masala dosa, uttappa and sponge dosa use even more gas, as their cooking griddles remain in continuous use from around 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. While businesses try to maintain extra cylinders as backup, storing more than two or three days’ supply is usually not feasible.
For now, most establishments are continuing operations only until their existing stock runs out. Once that happens, many may have no option but to close temporarily.
