Gulf War Impact: Hotel owners turn to diesel burners as ‘Desi Jugaad’

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The ongoing Gulf conflict has begun impacting the city’s food industry, as commercial LPG cylinder shortages and soaring prices push small hotels towards closure. To stay afloat, some restaurant owners have shifted to diesel-operated burners as an alternative to gas.

Earlier, many eateries had switched to coal stoves and electric cooktops. Now, a few have adopted diesel-powered stoves to manage rising costs.

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South Indian eateries hit the hardest

South Indian restaurants have been the worst affected, as items like idli, vada and dosa require continuous high flame and large quantities of gas. Several establishments have shut down, while others have increased prices by ₹10 to ₹20 per dish, making even basic meals costlier for customers.

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How the diesel stove works

The improvised stove uses a diesel burner fitted with an electric blower motor and a small fuel tank. The motor creates air pressure that sprays diesel into the burner for steady combustion. A control valve regulates diesel flow and flame intensity, similar to a gas regulator.

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“LPG became unaffordable due to rising prices. We developed this diesel stove using a motor and burner system. The flame increases with higher diesel flow. The setup cost around ₹32,000. Earlier, when gas was affordable, such measures were unnecessary.”

— Ankush Deshmukh, hotel owner