LPG shortage threatens meals for 8,000 students in government-run hostels

LPG shortage jeopardizes meals for over 8,000 students in Visakhapatnam's government-run hostels amid ongoing conflicts.

More than 8,000 students living in government-run hostels across the Visakhapatnam district are facing an uncertain future as a shortage of cooking gas (LPG) threatens their daily meals. The crisis, reportedly triggered by the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, has left hostel wardens and cooking staff scrambling to find enough fuel to feed the inmates, who are from Class 3 to PG students.

The shortage affects a wide range of students, including 3,000 residents in BC Welfare hostels, 2,500 in Tribal Welfare facilities, and another 2,500 in Social Welfare hostels.

According to official guidelines, each student requires between 35 to 45 grams of LPG per day to prepare their meals. Currently, most hostels only have enough gas to last for the next five to six days. Some have already run out, forcing staff to spend their days visiting gas agencies to plead for immediate deliveries.

On Thursday, The Hindu’s visits to hostels in China Gadili and MVP Colony revealed two different sides of the struggle. At the Social Welfare Hostel in China Gadili, the cooking team was seen anxiously trying to book cylinders for Friday’s meals.

“We prepared tonight’s dinner using our very last cylinder, which is almost empty,” the kitchen staff shared. “Our supervisors are in constant talks with agencies to get more stock before tomorrow morning,” they added.

Meanwhile, at the Tribal Welfare Hostel in MVP Colony, the team managed to secure four cylinders on Thursday, but noted they must “continuously pursue” suppliers daily to stay ahead of the shortage. With the situation remaining unpredictable, officials are considering drastic measures to ensure no student goes hungry.