"We have to rely on coal and wood": Rishikesh restaurant owners flag LPG supply crisis

Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) [India], April 4 : Business operations at several hotels and dhabas in Rishikesh came to a standstill as a severe shortage of commercial LPG cylinders gripped the town.

Local owners said the shortage has forced many establishments to either shut down temporarily or revert to traditional cooking methods, such as coal and wood, to continue serving customers.

Highlighting the gap between official claims and the ground situation, Vivek Tiwari, owner of Tiwari Shudh Vaishno Bhojnalay, on Friday told ANI, "There are a lot of problems related to gas. While the government has said that the gas supply is normal, we are not getting enough gas as per our needs..."

He further said that the situation is affecting the town's hospitality sector at a crucial time. "Rishikesh is the main gateway to Char Dham. You can see that the restaurants in Rishikesh have been closed... We have to rely on coal and wood like we used to in the older days. The policy should be clear regarding what the agency owners, the government and the gas companies are doing...," he added.

Pointing out the financial strain caused by the lack of regulated supply, another Dhaba owner from Rishikesh, Suresh, while speaking to ANI, said, "We are facing a lot of problems because gas cylinders are getting expensive. If someone is selling on the black market, they are charging Rs 2,500. The situation is bad at the agency as well. They say that the gas will be available only if we had made a prior booking... We are facing a lot of loss..."

Meanwhile, in a bid to address rising demand and maintain supply balance, the Uttarakhand government has implemented a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for commercial LPG distribution, replacing earlier guidelines.

Food and Civil Supplies Secretary Anand Swaroop said that following efforts to promote PNG, the state secured an additional 6 per cent quota for commercial LPG. Combined with a 20 per cent allocation from the Centre, the total availability has increased from 40 per cent to 66 per cent. The new SOP is aimed at ensuring transparent and priority-based distribution to prevent shortages in key sectors such as tourism, the Char Dham Yatra, and industry.

Under these rules, which remain in force until further notice, oil marketing companies will supply gas based on market share while keeping District Magistrates updated.

A specific provision has been introduced for wedding ceremonies, which are allocated 660 cylinders (10 per cent) daily. Usage is limited to a maximum of two commercial cylinders per event, requiring prior approval from the District Magistrate or a designated authority.

Once verified, distributors will issue temporary connections, after which the quota reverts to the general category to prevent misuse. Dehradun and Nainital receive the largest portion of the wedding quota (176 cylinders each), while industrial allocations are concentrated primarily in Dehradun, Haridwar, and Udham Singh Nagar.

Earlier in March, amid the ongoing West Asia Crisis, the resulting disruptions led to a shortage in the supply of commercial LPG cylinders.

Due to this shortfall, hotel and restaurant owners in the hill station of Mussoorie, popularly known as the "Queen of the Hills", began making alternative cooking arrangements.

The tensions escalated on February 28 following US-Israel strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliation by Iran, triggering a broader crude oil and LPG supply disruption across the country.

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