Hyderabad’s commercial LPG pinch

Hyderabad’s shortage of commercial liquefied petroleum gas is now hitting both kitchens and auto-rickshaw stands, with some eateries shifting back to firewood. (telanganatoday.com) Telangana Today reported on April 12 that restricted supplies of commercial and auto liquefied petroleum gas were disrupting hotel operations and forcing auto drivers to queue at government outlets to avoid higher-priced fuel. A related March 10 report said distributors were already warning that household cylinders would get priority as supply tightened. (telanganatoday.com 1) (telanganatoday.com 2) The state government formally sought help on March 14 after refill deliveries fell to about 6,200 commercial cylinders a day against a normal requirement of roughly 23,000, according to Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy. Officials told local media that current supply was meeting only about 20% of demand. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) (hyderabadmail.com) Restaurants and hostels began cutting menus in early March as stocks ran down. The Hindu reported on March 11 that Hyderabad eateries were rationing cylinders and reducing dishes, while other local reports said paying-guest hostels in the information technology corridor dropped items such as dosa and puri to conserve fuel. (thehindu.com) (businesstoday.in) Hotel groups said the squeeze was statewide, not limited to a few neighborhoods. Deccan Chronicle reported on March 9 that distributors had restricted commercial-cylinder supplies to hotels and restaurants across Telangana, with about 40,000 eateries expected to feel the impact. (deccanchronicle.com) Auto drivers were pulled into the same crunch because auto liquefied petroleum gas uses the same fuel family but a different retail channel. Telangana Today said drivers were lining up at public-sector outlets as private supply stayed constrained and prices were higher. (telanganatoday.com) The supply dispute has also produced conflicting public signals. On March 10, a senior Civil Supplies Department official told Press Trust of India that domestic and commercial cooking-gas supply in Telangana remained normal, even as hotel associations warned of shutdowns and sought emergency relief. (hindustantimes.com) (siasat.com) State officials have tied the disruption to import stress linked to the West Asia conflict, and Telangana Today reported in March that emergency steps were being taken to protect domestic consumers first. That left commercial users exposed just as restaurants, hostels and transport operators were trying to keep daily operations going. (telanganatoday.com) (thehindu.com) A government review in early April directed private firms to increase auto-liquefied-petroleum-gas supply, but the April 12 reports from Hyderabad show the pinch is still visible on the street and in restaurant kitchens. For now, the city’s workaround is as old as it gets: longer fuel queues outside and wood fires behind the stove. (msn.com) (telanganatoday.com)