West Asia crisis: Akshara Dasoha programme & eateries struggle as LPG shortage hits Koppal

Pics: Officials and staff of the Akshara Dasoha programme approached a Bharat Gas agency in Koppal on Monday, seeking urgent supply of LPG cylinders for hostel kitchens, in Gavimath; A hotelier in Koppal seen preparing food outside his establishment using firewood, amid a shortage of commercial LPGKoppal: Disruptions in commercial LPG supply, triggered by the ongoing Middle East conflict, began to hit kitchens across the district, leaving households, hotels and welfare institutions struggling to cope.The impact is now being felt at Gavimath's Akshara Dasoha centre in the city, which prepares meals for nearly 5,000 children every day. The centre faced an acute shortage of commercial LPG cylinders for the past 3 to 4 days, severely affecting midday meal preparation. With supplies virtually halted, officials are finding it increasingly difficult to manage cooking operations.The situation escalated on March 16, when the assistant director and staff of the Akshara Dasoha programme approached a Bharat Gas agency in the city, seeking immediate supply of cylinders for hostel kitchens. However, the agency manager expressed an inability to help due to a lack of stock, raising concerns over the continuation of food services.The ripple effects of the shortage were evident last week at the Koppal Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), where the hostel kitchen shut on March 12 after commercial cylinders ran out. Around 360 medical students were forced to depend on hotels for meals. KIMS director Dr Vijayanath Itagi said the issue was resolved later that evening following intervention by the district administration.Meanwhile, a crackdown by food and civil supplies department officials on March 16 exposed misuse of domestic LPG cylinders by hotels. As many as 12 cylinders were seized from 6 establishments in the city. The enforcement drive, however, met with resistance, with instances of women sitting on cylinders to prevent seizure. Authorities now decided to continue the drive with police protection from Tuesday.Amid mounting concern, deputy commissioner Dr Suresh B Itnal appealed to the public not to panic, assuring that domestic LPG stocks remain adequate and cautioning against rumours. However, the ongoing shortage of commercial LPG continues to disrupt normal operations, forcing several establishments to trim menus or switch to alternative cooking methods, including firewood.