Cooking gas crisis grips TVM Technopark; IT firms weigh shift to Work From Home

Thiruvananthapuram: The severe shortage of commercial LPG cylinders has begun to cripple operations at Technopark and various hostels. Business owners report that the supply of commercial cylinders has ground to a complete halt over the past week. Distribution agencies have noted that oil companies are currently only releasing cylinders to hospitals.

Many cafeterias within the Technopark campus have already begun to shut down. Companies have notably reduced the number of operational food counters, leading to long queues of employees. Technopark staff point out that if the situation persists for another two days, the majority of restaurants and hotels in the vicinity will be forced to close.

This crisis threatens the core operations of Technopark. The lack of food services is creating a critical problem for employees working 24-hour rotas across various shifts. Consequently, authorities state that companies may be forced to transition to a Work From Home (WFH) model. Technopark houses over 50,000 employees, the majority of whom reside in hostels and paying-guest (PG) accommodations, which are also facing a mounting fuel crisis.