LPG crisis & supply gaps hit Guwahati's community meal networks

Guwahati, March 19: The ripple effects of the ongoing LPG supply stress in Assam are beginning to surface in an unexpected but critical space – the network of community kitchens that feed thousands of people every day across Guwahati.

At the Kamakhya Temple, the daily Anna Seva continues to draw thousands, even as those running it navigate fresh challenges behind the scenes.

“For a few days, as the crisis began, arranging cylinders became very difficult. We had to limit the number of items in the bhog and manage accordingly,” said Kabin Sarma, ‘Bor Doloi’ of the temple management committee.

The kitchen, which serves meals like khichdi, sabji and payas, papad and other condiments, and even sooji and poori-bhaji to the visitors free of cost, feeds around 3,000 people on weekdays and up to 4,000-4,500 on weekends.

“We need at least three cylinders per day,” said Anna Seva supervisor Barada Gayan.

The strain is visible across other food service initiatives as well. The Khalsa Centre North East, which distributes meals to patients and attendants at the Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute every Wednesday, found itself grappling with both supply gaps and soaring prices.

“The price of cylinders in the black market went up to Rs 3,000. We need at least 10 to 12 cylinders every month – it becomes extremely difficult at that rate,” said Jaswinder Singh, president of the organization. “We had to reach out to people and arrange cylinders somehow to keep the service going.”

Touchstone Foundation of Hare Krishna Movement, which runs large-scale meal programmes in hospitals said they were not facing crisis as such, but improved supply would alleviate any concern. The group feeds around 1,000 people daily at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital and another 500 at the Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute, making it one of the key food support systems for patients and caregivers.

While operations have continued, sources associated with several such initiatives admitted that the situation has been worrying. Many organizations, on condition of anonymity, said they have already written to government agencies seeking steps to normalize LPG supply and prevent further disruption.

At the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara, popularly known as the Fancy Bazar Gurudwara, where langar feeds around 1,000 to 1,500 people every week, the system is holding steady for now.

“We are managing at present, but our requirement will increase as we plan to expand the langar. If supply issues persist, it could become difficult,” said committee president Bhupinder Pal Singh.

In contrast, larger institutional kitchens appear to be relatively insulated. The Akshaya Patra Foundation, which operates centralized kitchens in Guwahati and Jorhat serving over 40,000 schoolchildren, reported no disruption so far.

“So far, things are going on smoothly without any issue. Also LPG is a small part of our requirement as most of the cooking is done through boilers and bio gas,” said Vijaya Pandit Dasa, vice- president (North East) of the foundation.

The contrast highlights a key fault line. While large, structured supply chains are able to absorb short-term fluctuations, smaller, community-driven kitchens remain far more vulnerable to disruptions in fuel supply.

For the thousands who depend on these kitchens – from pilgrims and patients to the urban poor, the continuity of these meals is essential. And for those running them, regular supply of fuel and surety of availability is imperative.