Rajkot: The ongoing war in West Asia has sharply disrupted fuel supplies, plunging Rajkot’s hotels and restaurants into an unexpected crisis — while Ahmedabad has felt only limited impact due to widespread adoption of piped natural gas (PNG). In Rajkot, commercial LPG cylinders have fallen to just 10–30% of daily needs, forcing many establishments to abandon modern cooking systems and revert to age-old methods.Bhavya Parmar, owner of Sahaj Hotel near Metoda GIDC, which serves around 500 customers daily and runs a 20-room hotel, typically uses three LPG cylinders per day. With supplies drying up, Parmar explored induction cooking but found equipment unavailable for nearly two months. “We built a kiln using an oil barrel and started using coal, since it’s easily available,” he said. Today, five such kilns are in operation, and staff are being trained to adapt. “We’ve had to simplify the menu — items like fulka roti are no longer being served,” Parmar added.Kesar Dhani on Jamnagar Road, which normally consumes 120 cylinders monthly, has also been forced to scale down operations. Owner Naimee Khakhar said, “We are using firewood even to cook meals for our staff and have reduced the menu.” The crisis has exposed the vulnerability of businesses that had shifted away from PNG in favor of cheaper LPG. Those seeking to switch back to PNG face waiting periods of up to 45 days despite having paid deposits. In contrast, Ahmedabad’s hospitality sector remains largely insulated. “Ahmedabad city has good penetration of PNG, so the issue is much less here,” said Dilip Thakkar, Ahmedabad chapter head of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI). “The organized sector is largely connected to PNG, though smaller LPG-dependent players like street vendors are feeling the impact and managing with limited menus.“Outdoor catering services, which primarily depend on LPG, are also feeling the pinch, though the lean season has softened the blow. Dishant Pullar, who runs a south Indian eatery chain in Ahmedabad, said his outlets have not faced any disruption. “We are largely dependent on PNG, so there has been no issue,” he noted.Smaller operators, however, are struggling. Sandip Patel, who runs a Bhojanalay in Kalupur, said, “We have shifted to wood-fired chulhas for a month as gas availability is an issue. At our margins, it is difficult to keep up with costs. Our staff has reduced from 9–10 to 4–5 people, and managing operations has been tough.”
