Unavailability of commercial cylinders; 70 per cent of hotels in Kochi closed

KOCHI: The commercial LPG crisis is turning severe in the state. About 70 per cent of the hotels in Kochi have been closed. Hotels that had gas cylinder stock are also facing a crisis. Some hotels have switched to wood fuel. With the complete closure of hotels, a fear of food shortage looms in the state.

Most of the hotels that serve Chinese food have been closed. Since it is laborious to cook a meal with several dishes, most hotels have resorted to just serving biryani instead. In vegetarian hotels, biryani has replaced meals during noon hours. Parotta are stored in casseroles. Dosa and appam are not available in most hotels. Instead of staple snacks of karavada, ulli vada, pazampori, only uzhannu vada is served with tea at street tea shops. Some hotels have also stopped serving tea.

Vegetarian hotels Udupi and Aruna in Thiruvananthapuram have resorted to wood-burning stoves. Paragon Hotel in Kozhikode has reduced its menu but is still serving dishes that are in high demand. Railway canteens and coffee houses have been disrupted.

The plant in Udayamperoor, Kochi, from which cylinders were served, stopped operations. Although domestic cylinders were being supplied, that too has almost stopped. Although interventions are being made at the government level, it is reported that they are not effective.