LPG shortage: 200 hotels on verge of shutdown in Thiruvananthapuram

The disruption in the supply of commercial LPG cylinders due to the ongoing West Asia conflict has severely affected restaurants, hotels, and roadside eateries in Kerala's capital, Thiruvananthapuram.

The worst affected are small-time businessmen, such as tea sellers, who now face the prospect of shutting down their operations.

According to a Tea stall owner, "Gas shortage has been causing trouble for the past week. We have not been able to make tea and are planning to shut down.

We tell them that the cylinder stock has not arrived yet and that it may take about a week to come. One cylinder usually lasts for about two days."

Also watch: LPG shortage hits Tamil Nadu eateries; restaurants switch to firewood and charcoal.

A similar concern has been raised by hotel and restaurant representatives, who fear that with such a major disruption in supplies, a large number of outlets are on the verge of shutting down.

Alif Vayalil, Executive Member, Trivandrum District Committee of the Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association says, "At the moment, we can remain open only for today. We have also reduced many items on the menu, including snacks. Porotta is available only for a limited time, and meals will be served only until today. From tomorrow, there is no chance of serving meals either. We may be able to operate only until tomorrow afternoon.

There is no specific decision from the association yet, but the situation is almost the same for most hotels. Around 200 hotels in the city are on the verge of shutting down..."

According to suppliers, with domestic consumers being given priority, the supply of cylinders for commercial operations has naturally taken a hit.

Sanal Kumar G, Owner of the KR Gas agency in Kaimanam, says, "As the government's priorities are to cater to the demand of the domestic LPG consumers, that is the primary motive and factor which runs in the mind of the government. The second thing is that for them, commercial supply is of a secondary nature; that is the issue, and that is the point.

They have stopped commercial cylinder billing from Monday onwards in the plant itself. So, no commercial cylinders are coming out of the plant."

Despite this prioritisation, some domestic consumers are still reporting difficulties in making bookings, suggesting that the high demand and limited supply are affecting household users as well.

Meanwhile, domestic consumer Sudhil says, "When we usually make a call to book a gas cylinder, it gets booked immediately with just one call. But for the past week, the number has not been reachable. We are not able to book.

They say they do not know the exact reason. They are telling us that there is no stock coming in, possibly because of the war. That is what they have informed us."

A similar situation is being reported in Kochi.

Several residents here say they are able to procure LPG cylinders only after considerable difficulty, as they are unable to make bookings online and are being forced to visit suppliers directly.

A local resident (Kochi) says, "It has been more than a month since I booked the gas cylinder. I received a message saying the invoice had been generated, so I came here immediately, worried that the booking might get cancelled. There was a long queue when I arrived, but I managed to get the cylinder. I'm very happy about that, though I don't know what will happen next month."

Both commercial and domestic LPG consumers in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi are urging the government for immediate relief before things spiral out of control, severely impacting businesses and daily lives.