8,000 hotels & 600 industrial units in Nashik stare at uncertainty as commercial LPG supply dries up

Nashik: A sudden halt in the supply of commercial LPG cylinders by agencies and distributors has put hotel and industrial sectors in Nashik on the brink of shutdown. With existing stocks expected to run out over the next two to three days, around 8,000 hotels and restaurants and nearly 600 industrial units could face operational paralysis, industry players said on Tuesday.According to the Association of Bar, Hotels & Restaurants (ABHAR), Nashik, these establishments rely heavily on LPG for daily functioning. "All the hotels and restaurants are on ventilator support as LPG supply has stopped. They are operating with limited stock that may last only two to three days. Once this stock is exhausted, everything will come to a grinding halt," ABHAR president Sanjay Chavan said.A hotelier running a major establishment in the city echoed the concern. "We have barely four cylinders left, which are enough for two or three days. We will keep operating till the stock is exhausted, but beyond that, we will have no choice but to shut down," the hotelier said.The industrial sector is also bracing for impact. LPG is essential for operations like heat treatment, powder coating, forging, steel fabrication, bakery processes, food processing and pharmaceutical production. "Nashik has around 600-700 such units, many of which have only two days to two weeks of LPG stock left. Once that runs out, production will inevitably come to a halt," Manish Rawal, vice-president of the Nashik Industries and Manufacturers' Association (NIMA), said.Despite the widespread shortage of commercial cylinders, domestic LPG supply in the city appears unaffected. "I had booked a cylinder, but the delivery person could not reach me as I was out of town. After returning today, I contacted the gas agency, and they delivered the cylinder within two hours," homemaker Neha Shinde said.