LPG crunch worries tourist towns, hotels fear disruption

Dehradun: A tightening supply of commercial LPG cylinders has begun to worry hotels, restaurants and caterers across Uttarakhand, with businesses in Rishikesh, Haridwar, Uttarkashi, Nainital, Mussoorie and Rudrapur warning of disruption if refills are not restored quickly. Officials claimed domestic LPG stocks remained adequate and urged people not to panic, but commercial users said their reserves were running low and alternatives such as electric cooking or firewood would raise costs.Aseem Varma of The Rampour Rishikesh said his 25-room property had only one day's stock left. "If the supply does not resume, we will have to switch to induction or firewood stoves. We still have to provide food to guests," he said. Notably, Rishikesh is currently seeing one of its busiest times of the year with the International Yoga Festival currently happening, seeing participation of visitors from over 80 countries. Vibash Mishra, another hotelier, added, "Generally, one cylinder lasts only about three to four days. If supply decreases, hotels may be forced to close their restaurants." Harjeet Singh, a hospitality professional, said the situation would depend on how the administration manages allotment in the coming days. "If cylinders are not available, businesses will have to shift to costlier options, which may also push up food prices," he said.The pressure has coincided with cancellations by foreign tourists. The manager of a three-star hotel chain in Rishikesh told TOI that his property had received around 130 cancellations in the past week. "Around 80% of those bookings were from tourists from Iran, Israel and the US," he said, adding that disruption in air routes had forced many to cancel their trips. He added, "Most hotels here have stock for just one or two days."Pauri DM Swati Bhadauria claimed there was no shortage of domestic LPG cylinders. "Commercial cylinder supply may reach around 80%. A meeting with stakeholders is scheduled and we will try to maintain the balance between demand and supply," she told TOI.In Uttarkashi, where the Char Dham Yatra is due to begin on April 19 and the district hosts Gangotri and Yamunotri, hotel operators said supply of commercial cylinders had already been disrupted for the past week. Restaurant owner Jasvir Aswal said, "We have backup cylinders for a few days, but if the supply stops, restaurants will have to shut."Hotel Association president Shailendra Matuda said the shortage had already begun affecting operators and warned that the situation could worsen during the pilgrimage season unless adequate stocks were arranged. Congress district president Pradeep Rawat said hotels and restaurants in Uttarkashi and along the Char Dham route were already facing shortages.District supply officer Ashish Kumar, however, said the district had sufficient reserves. "Around 1,000 commercial cylinders are currently available and raids are being conducted to prevent black marketing," he said.In Nainital, officials held a coordination meeting to review distribution protocols, OTP-based delivery, refill intervals and warehouse inspections. They said supply from gas companies was in line with demand and urged consumers not to stockpile. But the Nainital Hotel and Restaurant Association warned of a shutdown. In a letter to district magistrate Lalit Mohan Rayal, NHRA president Digvijay Singh Bisht said, "No commercial gas cylinders are being supplied to hotels or restaurants here. If supply is not restored soon, establishments may have no option but to shut down."In Dehradun, LPG association chairman Chaman Lal said commercial free sale had taken a hit. "Big establishments may have backup, but small vendors will be the worst affected," he said. The food and civil supplies department said the state was monitoring the situation in view of the conflict in West Asia and warned of strict action against hoarding or black marketing. Rudrapur and Mussoorie reported similar anxiety, with operators saying disruption during the wedding and tourist seasons could quickly affect business.(With inputs from Tanmayee Tyagi, Kalyan Das and Sukanta Mukherjee , Ashish Mishra, MS Nawaz, Sonali Mishra, Aakash Ahujaand Anmol Jain)