Jaipur: The unavailability of commercial LPG cylinders began to disrupt daily life across Rajasthan, with restaurants, caterers, and even manufacturing units feeling the heat.The shortage forced eateries to shut outlets, trim menus, and experiment with coal furnaces or induction stoves, though operators admitted these alternatives cannot fully replace gas for bulk cooking.Restaurant owners with multiple branches are closing less busy outlets to keep flagship kitchens running.“Running a restaurant has become difficult. We have to pay rent, salaries, and other expenses, but without gas we cannot cook,” said a Jaipur-based restaurant owner.Many are trying to use coal and induction to tide over the difficulties.The Jaipur Catering Dealers Committee estimates that around 7,000 restaurants and dhabas in the city depend on commercial LPG.The crisis comes at a sensitive time for the wedding industry. Over 25,000 weddings are lined up till March 15.Ravi Jindal, president of the Rajasthan Tent Dealers Association, said that catering costs for weddings could rise due to higher cooking expenses, even though he said the alternatives to gas are cumbersome and not feasible in some cases.Manufacturing units that rely on LPG for welding, cutting, and heating are staring at tough days. Suresh Agarwal, President of the Federation of Rajasthan Trade and Industry, said, “Production will come to a halt if the govt does not make gas available. Businesses will suffer.”In the past twodays, the tourism sector witnessed cancellations. “Travellers are jittery about the current situation. They do not want to take risks with their travel plans considering the shortage of gas supply. That is why hotels started receiving cancellations,” said a hotelier in Udaipur.
