BENGALURU: Commercial gas shortage in Karnataka has hit private educational institutions and hostels run on campuses, forcing them to switch to firewood as fuel to cook for students. Some institutions are using biogas to cook food, while others have started exploring alternative options by placing an indent for induction stoves.
Dr Venkatesh Boddapati, secretary for international students’ hostels at BMS College of Engineering, said, “There are 2,400 students staying in our hostels. We have already switched to firewood because of unavailability of commercial LPG. We have reduced 90% of food items on the menu and are sticking to cooking rice, rasam, curd rice and sambar.”
Meanwhile, Reva University with over 2,500 students in its hostel and a canteen with a capacity to serve 15,000 students on a daily basis, has already started looking for an alternative option. Dr Ramalinga Reddy, Pro Vice Chancellor, said, “For today, we have enough supply of LPG but the hostel authorities are already exploring alternative options like firewood and induction stoves. We will make sure students get food and don’t suffer.”
Rev Father Arvind, St Joseph’s College hostel incharge, said, “We installed a biogas unit many years ago which is used to produce gas using waste generated on campus. This same gas is used for cooking in the hostel. We have no other option until we get sufficient LPG. Therefore, we have stopped making food items like idli, dosa and other fried items that require a lot of gas. Instead, emphasis has been placed on making food items of rice. If the situation continues like this, we will also have to buy firewood.”
Similarly, CMR Institute of Technology has already placed an indent for induction stoves and is planning to place electric stoves on every floor in the hostel so that students can make noodles or soups.