4 min readAhmedabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, PuneMar 13, 2026 06:50 AM IST
Among services affected by the shortage of LPG due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia are hostels and messes of higher education institutions in some parts of India.
In Ahmedabad, a canteen that caters to nearly 1,500-2,000 students on a daily basis at Nirma University has suspended larger meal options like thalis, and will serve sandwiches and small plates from now on because of the LPG shortage.
The canteen manager, Jitendra Singh, told The Indian Express, “Today is our last day (of using LPG cylinders). We will cut items that require more time to cook and use up gas, and have suspended meal options like the Punjabi and Gujarati thalis. Our kitchen will instead prioritise sandwiches and items made in the oven.”
He said that the canteen, which caters to just one section of the residential university, will continue to stay open for the “campus community” while the situation stabilises.
In Kolkata, the canteen of the century-old Hindu hostel of Presidency University has been closed since Tuesday night due to the shortage. The hostel houses 120 students.
Hostel authorities said bookings have been made for new cylinders and that it was not clear how long it would take for new supply to arrive.
At the Savitribai Phule Pune University, Abhishek Sheklar, a student representative on the Mess Quality Control Committee, said, “I have just spoken to the mess at the university, and they said they have gas stock for one or two more days. After that, they will have to shift to either coal or wood-based stoves, as it is not possible to cook food for thousands of students on an electric stove.”
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A non-teaching member of staff on the committee said, “Vendors have told us that they are facing pressure in cylinder supply. They are asking if they can reduce one sabzi and serve only one. We are taking stock of the situation.”
In Rajasthan’s Kota, known as the coaching capital with over 1 lakh students attending classes in the city to prepare for competitive exams, some hostels and messes have begun experiencing issues, with some even switching to using wood-based stoves.
Naveen Mittal, president of the Hotels Association of Kota, told The Indian Express that if the situation continues, it will be difficult to provide food for the students.
“In the hostel fees package, food and lodging are included. Students from all over India come to the city to study, and if the LPG supply is not met, then we will not be able to provide food to the children,” said Mittal.
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Around 4,000 hostels and 500 food messes are functional in Kota city. Some messes have started preparing food using firewood.
Jasmer Singh, owner of the Food Mess in Kota, said there are eight branches of the mess, in which 250 LPG cylinders are required monthly. Due to the shortage, they have started using firewood.
“Not everyone has such an open mess to use a wood oven. Hence, many mess owners have shut down their messes, and students are suffering because they have paid monthly. We need LPG cylinders or the economy will collapse,” said Singh.
The West Asia conflict triggered by the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran has halted the movement of ships through the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Over 80% of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
