Chennai, April 30 A shortage of LPG cylinders has disrupted operations at Amma Canteens across Chennai, forcing authorities to scale down food production and trim menus at several outlets.
The impact has been most visible in the reduction of idli output and the suspension of chapati preparation in many locations. Field visits conducted on Wednesday in areas such as Egmore and Triplicane revealed that canteen staff have been instructed to limit cooking due to inadequate gas supply. Chapatis, which require relatively higher fuel consumption, have been dropped entirely at several outlets, while idli production has been significantly curtailed to cope with the constraints.
The canteens, run by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), form a crucial part of the city’s subsidised food network, serving thousands of low-income residents daily.
According to officials, the scale of LPG supply has reduced drastically over the past 10 days, affecting normal functioning. “Earlier, more than 300 cylinders were supplied daily. Now it has dropped to around 150,” a Corporation official said, highlighting the severity of the shortage.
To manage the crisis, the GCC has introduced a hub-based cooking model in select areas. Under this arrangement, food is prepared at designated centres and distributed to a cluster of around 15 to 18 nearby canteens, ensuring that basic services continue despite the limited fuel availability.
On the ground, the impact has been stark. At the Gengu Reddy Subway canteen in Egmore, the weekly supply of LPG cylinders has dropped from five to just two, leading to a sharp fall in idli production from 350 to 150 per day.
In Chintadripet, canteens are now receiving only two to three cylinders a week, reducing idli output from 500 to 300 and replacing evening chapatis with idlis. Similarly, in Triplicane, idli production has declined from 600 to 350 per day, while chapati numbers have been cut by half.
However, not all centres have been equally affected.
The canteen at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children campus continues to function normally, despite broader instructions to suspend chapati preparation.
Officials maintain that the situation is temporary and have assured that full-scale operations will resume once LPG supplies stabilise.
Until then, authorities are focusing on maintaining essential services while adapting to the constraints.
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