Ahmedabad: A deepening shortage of commercial LPG cylinders is forcing educational institutions, restaurants, and community kitchens in the city to suspend operations, slash menus, or revert to wood-fired cooking.Student mess services at GMERS Medical College, attached to Sola Civil Hospital, were temporarily suspended on Friday, according to sources. Canteens on the campus, however, continued to function. Sources said that nearly 300 students will be affected by the LPG shortage. Meals for patients at the hospital remain unaffected for now. Dr Jignasha Bhalodia, in-charge dean of the college, was not available for comment. The boys’ hostel mess at Gujarat University has also been temporarily closed. Some community hostels are scrambling to modify menus or switch fuel sources to continue serving students. The crisis is hitting some of the city’s most vulnerable populations. At a free hostel run by Bharwad Yuva Sangathan near Sarkhej, where around 100 students preparing for govt job exams rely on donated meals, the organisation had to overhaul its daily menu to save fuel. President Dilip Bharwad said, “About 100 students are preparing for govt exams at our hostel. We usually require 40 commercial cylinders a month, but that is becoming difficult now. On Friday, instead of 700 rotis, we could make only 300 oversized ones. The hostel plans to begin cooking over a wood fire from Saturday onwards, as students still have two months of exam preparation ahead.”At BJ Medical College, senior authorities said meal services had not been discontinued. “But the committee run by the students have asked the cooks to ensure there is no wastage of cooking gas. They are also exploring options such as an induction stove,” said a senior official.“The state govt has assured us of fuel supply, and we do not see any reason for panic as of now. A review will take place next week if needed,” said a senior official of a premier educational institute in Gandhinagar.Restaurants across the city are reporting severe disruption. Some have shut temporarily while others have switched to dishes that require less fuel. Rajsinh Rathod, who operates a restaurant on a temple premises in Maninagar had no choice but to shut it down. “We roughly serve 300 people and charge Rs 80 per thali. However, due to the commercial LPG shortage, we had to stop operations from Thursday,” he said.Newly opened businesses are also caught in the squeeze. Hiren Bhimani, who recently inaugurated a 120-seat restaurant on Rajpath Rangoli Road, said he has been unable to launch commercial operations. “I just opened a 120-seater restaurant serving Gujarati dishes. I planned to start operations this week, but am rationing the limited LPG stock for staff use only,” Bhimani said.Dilip Thakkar, co-chapter head of the National Restaurants Association of India, said all of the city’s estimated 10,000 food joints have been hit. “The shortage of commercial LPG has badly affected 10,000 restaurants. Some are shutting down, and others are exploring alternatives or reworking their menus.” Smaller eateries are falling back on old methods to keep their kitchens running. Nikhil Thakur, who runs a cafe on an open plot along the SP Ring Road, said he has set up a traditional chulha in the parking area for low-flame cooking. “Our menu does not require much gas, so it is easier for us to manage,” he said.Larger establishments are adapting too. Gulmohar Club, which sees around 300 visitors daily, has slashed the menu and shifted to electricity-based cooking where possible. Alpesh Parikh, director of the club, said, “We typically use 60 commercial cylinders a month. But from Friday, we have trimmed the restaurant menu and shifted to electricity-based cooking. We are in the process of installing an industrial-grade wood-fire setup.“
