Delhi-NCR food businesses face deepening crisis as West Asia tensions disrupt LPG supply

The Covid shutdown nightmare stares at the low- and middle-income households and the restaurant and street food businesses in the Delhi-NCR as the cooking gas supply is playing the hide and seek game with them amid the continuing war between Iran and US-Israel.

LPG cylinders supply has almost dried up, with only a few consumers managing to lay their hands on them, while the distributing agencies are raking in moolah amid the raging crisis.  Certain restaurants have cut down on the menu, while a large number of street food vendors are at the end of the tether.

“We have stopped preparing those items which need to be cooked for a longer time, such as rava dosa, paratha, appam, rice-based items and Biryani. “We are currently serving those items which can be cooked easily and take less time to prepare," a staff working at a restaurant in Noida told the First Draft.

“We do have cylinders in stock but we have to use it wisely as the supply has become erratic,” he added.

“There has been no impact on the foods being served as per the menu but the staff has been asked not to prepare their meal in the kitchen earlier the management allowed us to prepare meal in the kitchen but due to shortage in supply of LPG we have been asked to arrange for our meals,” said another staff working at a café also located in Noida.

The street vendors have been hit the hardest as they are facing a twin crisis: their business and hearths, both are in crisis.

“The gas in my lone cylinder will run at the most for a day.  If I do not get the next refill, which is not likely, I will have to shut my food cart,” said a street food vendor who runs his business at Kaushambi, Ghaziabad.

Another vendor, who runs a Momo stall in the same area, said worryingly, his current cylinder would not last more than two days.

Meanwhile, the National Restaurant Association of India has issued an advisory asking the members to adopt fuel conservation measures to deal with the supply disruption. The industry body said the ongoing geopolitical developments could further tighten availability of the cooking gas, creating operational challenges for restaurants across the country.

It also advised rationalisation of the menus prioritising dishes that require lower gas usage or shorter cooking cycles. Items involving long simmering, deep frying or slow cooking may need to be reduced or suspended for the time being, it said. Other suggested measures include turning off pilot flames when equipment is not in use, consolidating cooking schedules during non-peak hours and adopting batch cooking practices.

To reduce dependence on LPG, the members have also been asked to explore alternative cooking fuel options, including induction equipment, electric fryers, combi-ovens and electric steamers. 

The crisis is not likely to cool in the days to come in view of the fresh threat by Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut, the lifeline of the crude supply.