As the supply of commercial LPG cylinders has been disrupted by the West Asian crisis, several hotels in Hospet have begun using wood-fired stoves for cooking, and more establishments are likely to adopt this method in the coming days.
At the New Ashwini Hotel on Bellary Road, Prajavani observed sambar being prepared on a wood-fired stove from Friday morning. Similarly, at Udupi Sri Krishna Hotel near the bus station, masala dosa was seen being cooked on a wood-burning stove using a dosa plate.
Hotel operations continue: “Hotels will not shut down simply because gas cylinders are unavailable. Thousands of people depend on the hotel industry for their livelihood. We cannot let their income suffer. Even if we reduce the number of food items, we have decided to keep the hotels running,” managers of three major hotels in the city said.
Riyaz, Deputy Director of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, said that some other major hotels in the city have also made arrangements to cook using wood-fired stoves. “Hospet is a tourist destination, and visitors arrive even during summer. Hotels must continue providing food and snacks, so staff are preparing accordingly,” he said.
“There is currently no issue with hot meals for children. All schools have been provided with adequate cylinders,” said District Hot Meals Officer Shekhar Horapete.
Auto gas supply normal: Gas supply for autorickshaws in the city remains unaffected. Autorickshaws were seen refilling at the Metro Auto Gas Bunk in Chappadarahalli, where a tanker carrying gas was stationed on Friday.
No impact on bakeries: The city has a large number of bakeries, most of which operate diesel ovens. Some also use gas and electric ovens. As a result, the cylinder shortage has not affected bakeries so far. However, any shortage of diesel could create problems for them.