LPG shortage sparks fear of hotel closures and food price hike in Kerala

LPG shortage in Kerala threatens hospitality sector, risking business closures and impacting household cooking gas availability.

The shortage of commercial LPG cylinders is threatening to severely impact the hospitality sector in Kerala, along with other key sectors, with the crisis likely to force many establishments, including catering units and hotels, to shut down within days if the situation continues.

Although CNG is currently available, the situation appears precarious and can disrupt a section of public transport as a significant number of vehicles rely on CNG. If the shortage affects only commercial kitchens now, it is likely to spill over to households soon, as cooking gas stocks are rapidly depleting across the country, including Kerala.

The crisis worsened just a few days after the prices of both commercial and domestic gas cylinders were increased nationwide by public sector companies.

Speaking to The Hindu, Shahul Hameed, general secretary of All Kerala Caterers’ Association, who runs Foodwey Catering in Kozhikode, says a good number of caterers in Kerala may soon down their shutters due to the severe shortage of commercial cooking gas. “For instance, we need around seven cylinders per day. However, we received hardly two cylinders in the last two days,” he says.

Swami S., owner of Swami S. Catering in Thrissur, says: “We are engaged in the vegetarian catering business, and Hindus typically stay away from conducting weddings during the Malayalam months of Kumbam and Meenam as these are considered inauspicious. Additionally, since it is the holy month of Ramzan for Muslims, marked by a period of fasting, business is relatively down in March, and we are managing with the available stock of gas cylinders along with firewood stoves. However, things will go out of hand if the situation persists,” he says.

Hotel and restaurant owners say they face certain limitations when it comes to seeking alternatives at the eleventh hour of a crisis.