Cooking gas shortage hits college campuses in West Bengal, hostels turn to chulhas and simpler meals

KOLKATA: Facing acute shortage of LPG cylinders in hostels, some educational institutions have gone back to chulhas while others are serving simpler food or have shut down their kitchens.

IIT-Kharagpur wrote to the West Midnapore DM on Wednesday, seeking urgent intervention to restore LPG cylinder supply or else the institute was "staring at a crisis of disproportionate scale". From Thursday, the institute started cooking in chulhas.

IIT-Kharagpur houses nearly 15,000 students in more than 20 halls of residence and requires 104 LPG cylinders daily. "The mess facilities in these halls are entirely dependent on a steady supply of LPG for the preparation of meals. For the past few days, the supply chain has been severely hit, leading to depletion of reserves. Currently, the LPG stock left in various halls can last barely one to three days," the letter said. Director Suman Chakraborty said: "We have started using traditional wooden ovens for cooking, especially making rotis, from Thursday to save fuel." West Midnapore DM Bijin Krishna said: "We have already spoken to the oil companies and dealers to solve the crisis."

At Jadavpur University, New Boys' Hostel received three cylinders on Thursday evening. Hence, the kitchen which was suspended due to a shortage of LPG resumed. A hostel staff member said: "New Block, Research Scholars Hostel, Old PG Hostel and the G C Sen Hostel have barely LPG stock to last one or two days." JU Main Hostel superintendent Tapan Jana said, "The Main Hostel blocks have a stock that would last them a week."

At Presidency University's Hindu Hostel, the LPG crisis prompted boarders to keep the kitchen closed from Tuesday to Thursday afternoon as there was no supply. A boarder Md Asik Rahaman said: "On Thursday afternoon, we got three cylinders and mess operations resumed from Thursday night." At the Presidency girls' hostel in Salt Lake, no lunch has been served for the last two to three days to ration cylinders. "The cook has informed us that if cylinders don't arrive, dinner may also not be served from Friday," said PG 1 student Jepchun Doma Sherpa. Dean of students Arun Kumar Maiti said, "We are exploring other options so that the mess can be kept operational."

St. Xavier's College principal Fr Dominic Savio said: "We have begun serving simple food to students." The college currently has 22 cylinders, including 20 domestic and two commercial ones. Both boys' hostels at Scottish Church College have started preparing coal-fired chulhas. Principal Madhumanjari Mandal said: "All three hostels have altered their menu to save fuel." Lady Brabourne College principal Siuli Sarkar said they had also decided to curtail menus. WBNUJS VC Nandimath Omprakash V said: "The institute hostels have LPG stock to last three days."

(With inputs from Srishti Lakhotia & Sujoy Khanra)