LPG cylinder could hit food distribution for poor in Hyderabad; donor running out of cylinders

People who distribute food to poor and needy in Hyderabad are concerned of potential LPG cylinder shortages, risking meal preparations for the poor and needy they serve daily.

Individuals who regularly cook and distribute food to the poor and needy in Hyderabad are worried that a potential shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders could disrupt their efforts.

Azhar Maqsusi, a city-based activist who distributes food to around 400-500 people daily, said he was unsure if he would have a cylinder on Wednesday morning. Every day, cooking begins at 8.30 a.m. under the Dabeerpura flyover and requires one commercial cylinder. Through the Sani Welfare Foundation, Maqsusi and his team have been distributing food near Gandhi Hospital in Musheerabad, Dabeerpura and Barkatpura for over a decade, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I booked four cylinders around eight days ago and the last one got over today. When I called for refill, the agency said they were out of stock. I am now struggling to arrange even one cylinder for tomorrow,” he said.

Srinivas Sharma, who distributes food thrice a day to around 1,500 people at MNJ Institute of Oncology Regional Cancer Centre with funds from donors, said the number of cylinders required depends on the items being cooked. “We need three to four cylinders a day. If there is a shortage, we may have to reduce the number of items distributed,” he said.

Several others also distribute food in the lane leading to Niloufer Hospital, near the MNJ Cancer Hospital. Over time, the lane has become a known spot for food donation, drawing people from across the city who wish to contribute. Volunteers regularly walk through the busy street, crowded with patients and their attendants, announcing that food will be served shortly. “If a daily wage worker at the Nampally adda does not find work for a day, they come here for a meal,” said a tea vendor in the area.

A woman working at the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s (GHMC) canteen nearby said she had neither noticed any shortage of food supplied to the centre nor an increase in people opting to eat there. “In fact, relatively more people had food on Monday,” she said.