NEW DELHI, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran have directly impacted the hospitality sector in India as the crisis has intensified the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shortage, officials said Wednesday.
The hotel and restaurant associations in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai had already flagged an acute shortage in commercial LPG cylinders, warning they may face shutdowns if supplies are not restored forthwith.
The commercial kitchens in the Indian capital territory, Delhi, and other major cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, have suspended some operations and are trying to switch to alternatives to ensure their operation. A majority of them have downsized their menus.
Many of them have switched to wood fires and coal to ensure at least some food is available.
"We are only serving sandwiches, salads and other items which can be prepared without the use of gas," Mohar Singh, manager at the lawyers' canteen at Delhi High Court, told the media. "We applied for gas at several places, but so far it hasn't been delivered to us, and nothing can be said when the supply will be restored."
On Tuesday, hotel owners' associations in Chennai flagged this issue, pointed out that theirs is an "essential service," and urged the federal government to resume gas supply.
"The situation has now become even more critical. Commercial LPG distributors have completely stopped supplying cylinders, stating that they have no stock available. As a result, many restaurants are forced to shut down," the Chennai hotel association said.
The association has also written a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to ensure an uninterrupted supply of LPG to the food industry.
Hotel industry representatives in Bengaluru say the shortage, which began earlier this week, has already forced establishments to ration gas usage while searching for alternative arrangements.
Reports said in Mumbai and Kolkata, an estimated 20 percent of eateries have suspended operations.
Amid the ongoing shortage, some hotels in Gujarat said they have been forced to procure commercial LPG cylinders from the black market at exorbitant prices.
Long refill queues have been reported in Delhi. Panic buying and black marketing of LPG have surfaced in states such as Jharkhand, with protests also reported in parts of Assam, and partial disruption in deliveries has been reported in Bihar due to curtailment in supply.
On Tuesday, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, who last week said India is in a "comfortable position," briefed Modi on the situation, saying he had ordered oil refineries to increase production of LPG cylinders for domestic use.
Reports said India consumes about 31.3 million tonnes of LPG annually, with around 87 percent used in the domestic sector -- primarily household kitchens -- and the remainder consumed by commercial establishments such as hotels and restaurants.
Analysts say that of the total requirement, as much as 62 percent is met through imports, which were through the Strait of Hormuz. India used to get 85 to 90 percent of its LPG imports from countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait. ■
