Flame freeze: Gas crisis chills Lajpat Nagar’s sizzling street-food scene

New Delhi: A sharp disruption in LPG supply across parts of the Capital has begun to leave its mark not only in households but in the bustling commercial kitchens of Lajpat Nagar, one of Delhi’s most vibrant street food hubs. From iconic stalls to modest carts, vendors are grappling with soaring prices, erratic supply, and an uncertain future.

On the ground, the situation appears far more severe. At a popular ram laddoo stall, Suresh, a vendor, described the daily struggle to procure commercial cylinders. “Supply comes only every two or three days. One cylinder is never enough for us,” he said, adding that he has been forced to buy cylinders at Rs 6,000, while domestic ones cost around Rs 4,000 in the open market.

For many, even these inflated rates offer no guarantee of availability. Bajrinaath, a street vendor selling boiled eggs and bread omelette, spoke of a breaking point. Supporting a family of six in his hometown, he now finds it impossible to sustain his cart. “I have been doing this since 1995, but this is the worst phase. I will return to my village next month and take up farming,” he said, recalling a time when eggs cost just a few rupees and survival in the city seemed attainable.

Several vendors echoed similar concerns, stating that despite being willing to pay Rs 3,000–Rs 4,000, cylinders remain out of reach. The crisis has not spared even well-known establishments such as Dolma Aunty Momos and Avantika Food Corner, which reportedly faced temporary closures during the peak shortage. At a local dhaba, the owner has resorted to cooking on a traditional mud stove using coal. Serving nearly 200 customers daily, he said shutting down would mean losing years of trust. “This is the most expensive cylinder phase I have seen in my life,” he noted, adding that the burden ultimately falls heavier on those with even fewer resources.

The issue also recently echoed within the Municipal Corporation of Delhi House, where AAP councillors staged protests demanding urgent discussion on the reported shortage of LPG cylinders. Terming it a matter of public urgency, they raised slogans and carried placards, highlighting the distress spreading across the city’s informal economy.

As supply constraints persist, the crisis underscores a deeper vulnerability in the city’s food economy where the cost of a flame now threatens livelihoods, traditions, and the very rhythm of everyday life.