Lucknow: The disruption in the supply of LPG in the city has started affecting thousands of students living in hostels and paying guest accommodations, as many of them depend on shared kitchens and tiffin services.A large number of students preparing for competitive exams, including UPSC, PCS and SSC, reside in and around coaching hubs in Indira Nagar, Gomti Nagar, Chinhat and Hasanganj area of the state capital. For these students, home-style meals are a basic part of their routine, but with the shortage of domestic gas, a sudden crunch of cooked food has emerged, forcing many to change their eating habits.Several hostels and mess kitchens are struggling to maintain normal cooking schedules. At Lucknow University, authorities said alternative arrangements are being used to ensure meals continue. Chief provost Anoop Kumar said mess kitchens at both campuses are partly operating on clay stoves using coal and wood, along with the limited LPG supply. “We are trying to ensure that students do not face a complete disruption in meals,” he said. Students living in PGs say they are finding temporary ways to cope. Some are preparing instant meals such as Maggi or pasta in electric kettles, while others are relying on biscuits, fruit and packaged snacks when cooking is not possible. The shortage has also affected tiffin services that many students rely on. Several operators have reduced deliveries from two times a day to one because of the limited gas supply, leaving students with only one cooked meal a day. Owner of SN PG and Hostel in Burlington, Shabnam, said most residents attend nearby coaching institutes and rely on shared cylinders. “Students are using gas carefully and avoiding oily dishes so that the cylinders last longer,” she said. PG operators say arranging refills has become difficult and expensive. Harman Iftekhar, who runs a PG in Phoolbagh, said he recently purchased a cylinder at nearly double the usual price. “When students checked it, the cylinder was not properly filled,” he said. For some students, the disruption has already altered plans. Tanya Gupta, who was staying in a PG in Hazratganj while looking for an internship, said uncertainty over food arrangements forced her to return home. Students say the situation is also confusing for newcomers to the city. Neha Khan, a hostel resident in Vineet Khand, said many do not know whom to approach when cylinder deliveries are delayed. At a private university, the hostel mess informed students that regular menus may be affected due to limited LPG availability, and lunch service for day scholars will be suspended from March 16 until supply improves. Students fear that if the shortage continues, it may begin to affect their preparation. Atul Mishra, who lives in a PG in Gomti Nagar, said even basic arrangements are becoming uncertain. “If we have to spend time arranging gas cylinders or food, it will disturb our studies,” he said. (With inputs from Amritansh Singh, Mariyam Shakeel, Love Agarwal and Shruti Shukla)
