Demand for Coal Rises in Jaipur as Small Eateries Cope with Cylinder Shortage

The demand for coal has surged amid a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, with several dhabas and small eateries switching to traditional coal-fired "bhattis" to keep their kitchens running.

The spike in demand is particularly visible in the congested lanes of the walled city of Jaipur, where many traditional dhabas and small restaurants operate open kitchens that can accommodate coal-based cooking.

Coal traders said the demand has risen sharply over the last few days as restaurant owners struggle to procure commercial LPG cylinders.

Deepak Khandelwal, a coal trader in the city, said the demand has increased noticeably in the last three-four days due to the shortage of commercial gas cylinders.

"The demand has certainly increased in the last three-four days in the wake of the shortage of commercial cylinders. Dhabas and restaurants in the walled city are the main buyers right now," he said.

Khandelwal said coal continues to be available in the market but prices have risen marginally following the spike in demand.

"Coal used to be widely used by dhabas earlier but gradually, most of them shifted to LPG. It is a traditional and relatively cheaper fuel but because of smoke and ash, many eateries had switched to gas. Now, with the shortage of cylinders, they are returning to the traditional fuel," he said.

Another trader, Shiv Kumar, said the demand for coal has multiplied several times in recent days.

"Coal is in high demand. The demand has increased nearly five to six times. It is affordable, but not all hotels can shift to it because their kitchen infrastructure does not support coal-fired cooking," he said.

Kumar added that mainly small dhabas and eateries with open or semi-open kitchens are switching to coal or wood-fired "bhattis" temporarily until LPG supplies normalise.

Coal and firewood are both used by many roadside eateries and traders said the demand for wood has also risen along with that for coal.

Mohammad Asif, who runs a small hotel in the Ramganj area, said restaurant owners are left with little choice as commercial cylinders are not easily available.

"Commercial gas cylinders are not available. We are forced to cook on firewood. But the smoke and ash from wood and coal create problems," he said.

Several other dhaba operators, including near the Jaipur Junction railway station, said they have been forced to shift to coal-fired "bhattis", while some have cut down on the number of items they prepare due to operational difficulties.

Meanwhile, the impact of the fuel shortage is also being felt at the city's CNG stations, where long queues of autorickshaws were seen waiting to refill gas.

Autorickshaw drivers said they had to wait for hours at the CNG pumps to get their vehicles refuelled, affecting their daily earnings and operations.