LPG Crisis: As the LPG crisis surges day by day, 70 per cent of Delhi's restaurants are suffering to operate. Delhi, which is home to a thousand restaurants and food joints, had been facing a major setback, giving rise to the limitation of commercial fuel for cooking.
The possibility of closing or opening a restaurant in the city is highly dependent on the availability of the cylinders. More than 2000 restaurants have limited their kitchen operations, restricting them to either afternoon or evening. Meanwhile, bar operators have stopped serving items that take longer to cook. The prices of food have also plummeted at a high rate.
At Bengali Sweet Centre in South Extension-I, staff said the menu now changes depending on how much gas remains. “There’s only one cylinder now, and soon that will also get over,” a staffer said, adding that items such as matar kulche and some deep-fried snacks have been stopped, Hindustan Times reported.
Events Getting Postponed Or Cancelled
The LPG crisis had also cut off bookings for the weddings. Caterers are refusing to accept new bookings and are using wood for pre-booked events.
According to caterer Praveen Kashyap, the cylinders are unavailable, and they are relying on the customers. Otherwise, the caterers won't be taking new bookings. Chandni Chowk businessman Shri Bhagwan Bansal said that families are insisting on postponing wedding dates.
The services for the food delivery apps have dropped by 60 percent. The demands are increasing while the restaurant owners are struggling to cope with the situation, as they face challenges such as rising food costs and a decrease in customer footfall.
The growing crisis has led to the closure of PG canteens as well. Several areas of Karol Bagh and Rajendra Nagar, Delhi, have shut their food services owing to the crisis.
Demand Increased For Induction Stoves
To combat the worsening situation, people are now opting for alternative cooking appliances such as induction stoves. Induction cooktops are in demand from hotels and restaurants to homes.