Commercial LPG scarcity disrupts Pune’s bread, pav production

The LPG cylinder shortage is crippling the hotel and bakery industry in the city, disrupting production and leading many to consider costly fuel alternatives.

With the government tightening norms on commercial Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders, the hotel and bakery industry in the city is facing a crisis, forcing many units to scale down or halt production of bread and soft buns.

Several small bakeries in the city continue to rely on LPG cylinders for daily operations. However, irregular supply has disrupted production cycles, leading to shortages across local markets. (HT PHOTO)

Several small bakeries in the city continue to rely on LPG cylinders for daily operations. However, irregular supply has disrupted production cycles, leading to shortages across local markets.

Rafiq Ansari, owner of Bakers Pride bakery from Chavannagar in Dhankawadi, said, “LPG cylinders are simply not available. I have stopped producing bread and buns for the past few days as I cannot sustain the rising costs. At times, I source bread from other producers to keep my shop running. With uncertainty over supply for the next few weeks, I am considering shifting to a diesel-based system.”

Ramiz Shaikh, owner of City Bakery from Aryaneshwar, said the crisis has hit smaller units the hardest. “Many small bakeries are struggling due to the LPG shortage. At the same time, we cannot immediately increase prices, which adds to the pressure,” he said.

The shortage has also begun to affect retailers. Atul Londhe, who runs Dhansrhee Shop in Padmavati, said, “I usually stock bread and buns, but I haven’t received any supply for the past week. Customers are complaining as these are daily essentials.”

Bakery owners said switching to alternative fuel systems is not easy. “I checked the cost of installing a diesel-based oven—it’s around ₹50,000. I’m unsure whether to make that investment given the uncertainty,” said Ansari.

Consumers, too, are feeling the impact. Reshma Puranik said, “We had planned pav bhaji and sandwiches at home on Sunday, but I couldn’t find bread or buns despite visiting four to five bakeries. I finally managed to get some from one shop.”

Archana Pawar echoed the surprise felt by many. “I was shocked that the bakery in our area had no bread. We never imagined such a shortage. Earlier, we thought bakeries used traditional methods like wood, but this is when we realised how dependent they are on LPG,” she said.

The ripple effect has extended to other small food businesses. A vendor from Yadav Dairy said, “I had to stop making samosas for a few days as I couldn’t get a gas cylinder. I have now purchased a diesel stove and resumed production.”

With supply constraints persisting, small businesses across the city are now weighing costly alternatives to keep operations running.