Hotels in rural areas of Shivamogga badly hit due to disruption in supply of commercial LPG

The disruption in the supply of commercial LPG cylinders has badly affected hotels and small eateries in the rural areas.

Many small hotel owners, who usually earn a few thousand rupees a day, have been forced to shut down their businesses due to the unavailability of LPG. While a few are continuing with a very limited menu, most switched to cooking on firewood. This sudden shift has increased in the demand for firewood in rural areas.

On Sunday (March 29, 2026) morning, a group of travellers heading to Sagar on the busy Bengaluru-Honnavara Road stopped at Mallika Veg Hotel at Anandapura in Sagar taluk, for breakfast. When one of them asked for the menu card. The cashier replied that there was no need for it as the only item available was Puliyogare.

The hotel staff maintained that they had stopped serving multiple items because of the severe shortage of commercial LPG cylinders. Another popular hotel at Kumsi in Shivamogga taluk, which attracted people from Shivamogga for its delicious dosa, remained closed on Sunday (March 29, 2026).

Dastagir, who runs a small hotel named Mannath in Aachapura, Sagar taluk, normally needs just three to four commercial LPG cylinders a month. Finding it extremely difficult to get cylinders, he too has shifted to firewood cooking. He procures the firewood from a sawmill at Ripponpet in Hosanagar taluk.

“Earlier, the sawmill used to charge ₹300 per quintal of firewood. Now they have increased it by ₹50. Besides that, I have paid an additional ₹800 for transportation,” said Mr. Dastagir. Like him, many hotels have switched to firewood-cooking.

The hotel owners are worried that if the situation continues for a few more days, they will face financial difficulties. Several workers have already lost their jobs, and they are forced to look for alternative employment. “We are running the business hoping that things will be better in the coming days,” said Mr. Dastagir.