Gas Shortage Cripples Vizag's Affordable Eateries, Students Struggle for Meals
A severe shortage of commercial cooking gas cylinders is wreaking havoc on the affordable food ecosystem in Visakhapatnam, forcing numerous small and medium hotels, private hostels, and tiffin centres to shut down or drastically reduce their operations. This crisis is hitting bachelors and students, who heavily depend on these low-cost eateries for their daily sustenance, particularly hard.
Eateries Shutter, Operations Slashed
Many food joints that were once bustling are now operating only three days a week, while a significant number of tiffin centres have closed their doors completely. This has transformed once-vibrant student hubs like MVP Colony, Maddilapalem, Peda Waltair, China Waltair, Ushodaya Junction, and Dwarakanagar into unusually quiet areas. These localities were previously buzzing with aspirants preparing for competitive exams for banks, railways, teaching posts, and other government jobs.
Price Hikes and Student Exodus
The root cause is an alleged sharp rise in LPG prices and a critical shortage of commercial cylinders. This has compelled the few eateries still open to increase their prices substantially. Siva, a resident of MVP Colony who came from Anakapalle district for exam preparation, explained the dire situation: "Earlier, we used to get tiffin at Rs 50 per plate; now it costs around Rs 70. Similarly, a full meal plate has increased to Rs 150 from Rs 120." He added that some of his friends have been forced to return home because they could no longer access regular, affordable meals due to the widespread restaurant closures.
Business Owners Face Existential Threat
For tiffin centre operators, the crisis threatens their very livelihood. Sekhar, who runs a centre in Peda Waltair, stated his business was closed for an entire week due to the cylinder shortage. "Most of our customers are students and small employees. With this shortage, it is very difficult to keep our business running," he said, noting that both his income and the students' access to affordable, tasty food have been severely impacted.
Durga, an operator in MVP Colony, highlighted the unsustainable economics: "We are aware this creates difficulties, but with the cost of gas skyrocketing in the black market to around Rs 3,000 per cylinder, what choice do we have except to increase prices?" Her sales have plummeted by 50%, forcing her to operate on alternative days. Many establishments that previously consumed 8 to 10 cylinders a month are now implementing shutdowns several days a week just to stretch their limited supplies.
A Deepening Crisis with No Easy Solution
The situation underscores a fragile dependency on affordable food services in educational hubs. The combination of supply shortages and black market price surges is creating a perfect storm, disrupting both local businesses and the lives of thousands of students who rely on them. With operators uncertain about how long they can sustain their businesses, the community faces an ongoing struggle to find a stable and economical source for daily meals.
