Hit by a days-long shutdown, eateries in southwest Delhi's Uttam Nagar now grapple with a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders just when it came time to reopen. Eateries were shut for six days in the area following protests sparked by the murder of a 26-year-old man on Holi. The area saw a heavy police presence and barricading in places after the brawl on March 4. However, just as owners were readying to reopen, they were dealt a blow by an LPG shortage.
Many said they are unable to procure cylinders through regular booking channels and are being forced to buy them in the "black market" at inflated prices. Nearly all eateries in the locality suffer the same crunch, they said. "There is a shortage of cylinders. Even double the price, around Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000, is not enough," Mohammad Shaki, a restaurant owner, told PTI, adding that his eatery requires at least three cylinders every day. Shaki said that there are about 35 to 40 restaurants in the area, and everyone is suffering. Some people have even left for their villages. "Cylinders are expensive, and they would rather celebrate Eid with their families than stay here and face losses," he said. Shaki said even illegal suppliers are facing a shortage. Visuals from the area showed restaurants open but with barely any customers inside. Another restaurant owner, Mohammad Nasir, said businesses may be forced to shut if the situation does not improve soon. "We might have to close our hotel if the situation continues for three more days. I have around 20 to 22 people working in my hotel, but they are sitting idle. Normally, we prepare four to eight vegetable dishes, but today we have made only one. If we cook more items, we need more stoves," he said.
Nasir said that for Biryani, the stove usually runs continuously. "Due to the shortage, we light our stove only when needed. It will be very difficult to run our business this way." The shortage comes amid the widening conflict in West Asia, following which the government has prioritised the allocation of domestically produced natural gas for LPG production, compressed natural gas (CNG) and piped cooking gas sectors. Under the revised allocation policy notified through a government gazette, the requirements of these sectors will be met before supplies are provided to other industries. Nasir said even an inordinate sum of Rs 3,000 cannot buy a gas cylinder. On March 4, 26-year-old Tarun was killed following a clash between his family and their neighbours in the JJ Colony area. According to the police, the violence started after a girl from Tarun's family threw a balloon, splashing a woman from the neighbour's family during Holi celebrations. Some Hindu political outfits staged a protest against the killing and torched two vehicles of the accused family members. The police have arrested and apprehended 16 people, including three women and two juveniles, in the matter.
The entire area where the killing happened turned into a fortress with paramilitary and heavy police presence. All nearby shops and roads leading to the house of the victim were shut since the murder, till they were allowed to open on Thursday. A shopkeeper said what happened was unfortunate, but so is the aftermath. "It has been three days since the cylinders stopped coming. Commercial cylinders, which we mainly use, are absent from the market," said Mohammad Irshad. The shortage has forced several eateries to shut temporarily and send workers back home, he added.