Jamshedpur: The LPG crisis triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia is now directly affecting the livelihoods of food vendors in the Steel City. While many have shut their shops, others are scrambling to find alternative sources of income.The worst hit are vendors operating in the city’s popular ‘Khao Galis’. Nearly 95% of them depend on domestic LPG cylinders for cooking. However, new govt booking rules have extended the refill cycle to 25 days, plus an additional three days for delivery, leaving most traders unable to secure timely gas supplies.Sabir, a fast-food cart owner at Sakchi Khao Gali, said on Sunday, “I am forced to change my business as I cannot get LPG cylinders as per my requirement. I am now selling balloons on main roads and near shopping malls. I don’t have enough capital to invest in a new business.”“Already, I am burdened with loans from banks and individuals. With my food cart shut indefinitely, I don’t know how I will repay the installments. I had employed two workers who are now jobless. Cylinders in the black market cost three times the actual price and supply is erratic. At those rates, I would incur losses instead of profits,” he added.Sabir, a resident of Mango supporting a family of seven, compared the situation to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Back then, we survived hand-to-mouth for over a year. Now, by selling balloons, I earn barely one-fourth of what I used to.”Ramesh Singh, who earlier sold samosas and jalebis in Sonari, has switched to running a sugarcane juice stall. “I rented an old juice machine and started this business as it doesn’t require LPG. Summer demand helps sustain it. A friend advised me to find an alternative until the situation improves,” he said.Brij Mohan, who worked as a cook at a Kadma Khao Gali stall, lost his job after the shop shut down. He now earns a living cleaning cars. “I am the sole breadwinner for a family of six. Cleaning cars in the morning earns me about half of what I made earlier. I saw a similar crisis during the 2020 lockdown,” he said.
