Nagpur: The ongoing shortage of commercial LPG cylinders has pushed several restaurants and roadside eateries in the city to fall back on traditional chulahs, forcing many to trim menus, reduce operating hours, and scale down operations.Across many eateries, popular dishes such as dosa, Chinese items and masala milk have temporarily disappeared from menus as restaurateurs struggle to manage limited fuel stock. With LPG supply uncertain, many establishments have turned to chulahs to keep kitchens running, though the shift has restricted what they can cook and how much they can serve.Restaurant owners said the situation has become increasingly uncertain as suppliers and distributors allegedly stopped responding to calls regarding cylinder deliveries. Without clarity on when the next refill would arrive, several eateries began rationing their existing LPG stock while using chulahs as a stop-gap arrangement.Speaking to TOI, hotelier Sharique Hafeez said his establishment did not receive a single cylinder on Wednesday, forcing him to revise both the menu and operating schedule. “Even then, we cut down on many items. Many restaurants which have a set-up cannot start a chulah inside the restaurant, as it could lead to a major accident. On the other hand, alternatives like diesel burners or large induction systems are way too expensive,” said Hafeez, adding that the lack of transparency from the govt as well as the administrator created hurdles for restaurateurs trying to plan ahead.The crisis has also led to unusual scenes in parts of the city. In Mominpura, several restaurants were seen lighting chulahs outside their establishments to continue cooking food after running out of LPG cylinders. Many were preparing biryani on chulahs outside and later bringing the cooked food inside their restaurants for serving.Rahul Gupta, who owns 3 restaurants in the city, said they were forced to simplify their offerings to keep operations running. “We are sticking to a regular menu including idli, vada, and chole bhature while completely shutting dosa, Chinese, famous masala milk, and the à la carte system. We were also forced to close the fine-dine section of our restaurant. This is the situation of most restaurants in the city,” said Gupta.Meanwhile, several tea stalls and snacks vendors have also shifted to chulahs or wood-based burners to continue preparing tea, samosas, and other quick snacks.Industry sources said that while larger hotels might manage the crisis through alternative fuel arrangements or back-up systems, smaller restaurants, street food stalls, and family-run eateries are bearing the brunt, with the LPG shortage pushing them back to chulah-based cooking to sustain daily operations.
