‘Even If We Pay More, Cylinders Are Not Available’: Hyderabad’s Kumari Aunty On LPG Shortage

Hyderabad's popular street food vendor Kumari Aunty, who became an internet sensation two years ago for her bustling food stall in the city's IT corridor, says the ongoing shortage of commercial LPG cylinders has severely impacted her daily operations.

Speaking to Oneindia, Kumari Aunty revealed that the shortage has persisted for nearly a week, making it increasingly difficult for small food vendors like her to run their businesses.

According to her, the problem worsened over the past three days as commercial cylinders became extremely difficult to find in the market. "Even if we are willing to pay more money, cylinders are simply not available," she said. She added that she managed to procure only a limited supply recently after someone contacted her and helped arrange a cylinder.

The shortage has forced her to scale down the menu at her stall. Earlier, the stall offered six varieties of non-vegetarian dishes along with multiple vegetarian items. However, due to the limited gas supply, she has reduced the number of dishes and is now serving only a few essential items such as one fry curry, one gravy curry, chutney, dal and sambar along with rice.

Despite rising operational costs, Kumari Aunty said she has tried not to pass the burden onto customers. "Many people suggested that I increase the prices because everything else-from petrol and diesel to other ingredients-is becoming expensive. But my customers requested me not to hike the rates, so I decided to keep them the same," she said.

Currently, meals at her stall remain priced at ₹80 for vegetarian and ₹120 for non-vegetarian options, while many other vendors have increased their prices to ₹150 or even ₹200.

She also considered switching to a traditional wood stove as an alternative, but said it is not practical. Cooking on firewood would generate smoke and create problems in residential areas nearby. Moreover, she noted that preparing large quantities of food on a wood stove within limited time would be extremely difficult.

Kumari Aunty said her stall supports the livelihoods of several workers and their families. "Around 10 families depend on this work. We all started from nothing and built this together," she said.

Expressing concern over the situation, she urged authorities to resolve the LPG shortage soon so that small food vendors and common people are not forced to suffer further. "I hope the government addresses this issue quickly," she added.