Hyderabad Hostels Association issues notice cautioning of LPG shortage, recommend limited items on menu

Hyderabad Hostels Association warns of LPG shortages, urging hostels to limit menu items and manage cooking methods amid ongoing supply issues.

A notice cautioning of LPG cylinder shortage and restrictions on food items have been issued to the paying guest (PG) accommodations and hostels across Hyderabad’s IT corridor as concerns grow over supply constraints amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The head of the IT Corridor Hostel Association, Amarnath Reddy, said the shortage began last week but its impact has become more visible in the past day, with supply disruptions being reported by several hostels.

“The cylinder shortage started last week, but we began feeling the real impact from yesterday as supply stopped in some hostels. Many are left with no cylinders now,” he said. “Across Hyderabad, there are nearly 11,000 hostels with around 10 lakh residents. On average, each hostel houses about 100 people, so cooking entirely on electrical appliances is not practical for kitchens that prepare meals for such large numbers. Hence we issued this notice.

This comes a day after The Hindu reported that owners and managers of large PG facilities reported sharp drop in cylinder supply in recent days, with some saying deliveries have fallen to around 20 to 25% of their usual orders.

The notice states that due to the ongoing international situation involving the United States, Israel and Iran, there could be a temporary shortage of gas cylinders. To manage the available supply efficiently, hostel operators have been advised to reduce LPG consumption until the situation improves.

According to the notice, tea and coffee may not be served temporarily and breakfast items that require higher gas consumption such as chapati, dosa and poori may be avoided. The notice also states that depending on the availability of LPG, some curries and additional time-consuming or high oil-consuming food items will be temporarily stopped.