The first signs of trouble due to Iran War have emerged in Bengaluru, and it is becoming increasingly clear that the problem may soon spread across the nation.
Hotels across Bengaluru are preparing to shut their kitchens from March 10 after the Bengaluru Hotels Association announced that the supply of commercial LPG cylinders has stopped.
The sudden disruption has pushed the city’s hotel industry into a serious crisis and raised wider concerns about the stability of cooking gas supplies.
For thousands of people in the city, hotels are not just businesses but an essential source of daily food.
Old people, patients, bachelors and working individuals depend on affordable hotel meals every day. If hotels remain closed, the impact will be felt far beyond the hospitality sector.
Industry representatives say oil companies had earlier assured them that there would be no disruption in gas supply for at least 70 days. The unexpected stoppage has therefore come as a major shock to hotel owners.
The problem is linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz since March 1.
India imports nearly 60 percent of its LPG, largely from Persian Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Any disruption in this route quickly affects supplies.
Adding to public anxiety, domestic LPG prices were already increased by Rs 60 per cylinder recently.
Now a larger fear is emerging. If the shortage spreads beyond commercial cylinders to household gas supplies, many families worry they could be pushed back to cooking with firewood and coal, something that feels like a return to life a hundred years ago.