HANAMKONDA: Life for nearly 500 families in the tri-cities of Warangal, Hanamkonda and Kazipet has become tougher over the past week due to the non-availability of commercial LPG cylinders. Many of these families run home food kitchens, locally known as ‘pindivantalu’, which they say are now on the verge of closure.
With no supply of commercial cylinders, several small kitchens that depend on them for daily operations have halted or scaled down work. These kitchens serve as a primary source of income for hundreds of families, particularly women running small-scale food businesses from their homes.
Many families said their livelihoods had already been affected earlier when overseas orders declined due to disruptions in exports, including those linked to the war abroad. Orders from local event managers also fell, leaving these kitchens heavily dependent on festival demand and local customers.
The current shortage has disrupted production across the tri-cities. Several BPL workers employed in these home kitchens have temporarily lost work as some units have shut down. Families said the stoppage has brought daily earnings to a halt and created uncertainty about their income.
Some operators have begun using domestic LPG for commercial cooking in the absence of commercial cylinders. District civil supplies authorities have been conducting raids and seizing such cylinders, leading several organisers to suspend operations temporarily.
LPG shortage leaves small biz struggling
Ch Ravi Kumar, who runs a home kitchen in Warangal, said the shortage had left operators with few options.
“There appears to be an artificial shortage of LPG cylinders which is creating panic among lower- and middle-class families. We cannot prepare food items meant for export on firewood, and delays are causing us to lose profitable business,” he said.
He added that several homemade food centres had already shut down due to the lack of commercial gas, leaving 200 to 300 families without work temporarily.
A Sunitha, another kitchen owner in Warangal, said the shortage had affected preparations for the Ugadi season. “Due to the lack of commercial LPG supply this year, we have lost business for the upcoming Ugadi festival. The government should ensure supply of commercial gas for small kitchens as it supports low- and middle-class families,” she said.
When contacted, Hanamkonda district supply officer Md Wajid said there was no shortage of domestic LPG cylinders for households in the district but acknowledged that commercial cylinders were currently not available in the market. “We registered 96 cases against consumers using domestic cylinders for food businesses,” he said.
