Cooking in LPG crisis: Hyderabad’s kitchens adapt, but at a ‘cost’

Hyderabad's LPG crisis forces kitchens to switch to firewood, raising environmental, health, and fire safety concerns amid rising costs.

As the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) shortage enters its second week, kitchens across Hyderabad’s IT corridor are being forced to adapt in ways many had not anticipated. From paying guest (PG) accommodations to roadside eateries, the crisis, triggered by tensions in West Asia, has disrupted daily cooking routines, pushing thousands to experiment with makeshift and often risky alternatives.

Across Madhapur and Gachibowli, over 11,000 PGs and hostels staggered menus, while several restaurants and street vendors have either scaled down operations or shut temporarily. For those still functioning, survival has meant improvisation.

At Sai Durga Women’s PG in Gachibowli, caretaker Suresh said the establishment has been scrambling to secure both fuel and alternatives. “We tried sourcing briquette stoves, but there is a shortage. Suppliers are asking us to place orders a week to ten days in advance,” he said. Prices, he added, have surged sharply, with small stoves costing around ₹10,000 and medium ones going up to ₹20,000.

Solid biomass briquettes which are manufactured from agricultural waste. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

In the meantime, many operators have been forced to buy LPG cylinders at inflated prices. “We paid ₹4,000 to ₹5,000 per cylinder last week, just to keep things running. Even then, the supply is uncertain, and we need alternatives,” Suresh said. The PG has rationed its cooking, serving basic meals such as rice and lentils to stretch the limited fuel available.

But shifting to alternatives is not straightforward. Briquette stoves and firewood require space, something most cramped PG kitchens in the IT corridor lack. “Space for storage and cooking are both problems. And these methods produce a lot of smoke. Briquettes are slightly better, which is why we are trying for them,” he explained.