Jaipur, March 14 Demand for coal has surged amid a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, with several roadside eateries and small restaurants switching to traditional coal-fired "hattis" to keep their kitchens running.
The surge 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 in 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 remains available in the market, but prices have risen marginally following the surge in demand.
"Coal was widely used by dhabas earlier, but gradually, most of them switched 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 switch 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 "hattis" temporarily until LPG supplies normalize.
Both coal and firewood are used by many roadside eateries, and traders said the demand for firewood 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 those near the Jaipur Junction railway station, said they have been forced to switch to coal-fired "hattis", while some have reduced 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.