Commercial LPG shortage in Hyderabad hits food delivery sector, gig workers report income drop
HYDERABAD: A shortage of commercial LPG cylinders in Hyderabad is affecting food delivery services. Many restaurants are scaling down kitchen operations. Delivery partners say they are receiving far fewer orders than usual.
LPG shortage hits restaurant operations
With limited cooking gas, several eateries have reduced their menus. Some restaurants have temporarily stopped accepting online orders.
The disruption has slowed deliveries through platforms like Zomato and Swiggy. This has directly affected delivery partners who rely on daily trips to earn income.
Delivery partners report fall in orders
Ramesh Y, a delivery partner in the city, said his daily orders have dropped sharply.
“Earlier I used to complete around 25 to 30 deliveries a day. Now I barely get 10 to 12 orders even after staying online for long hours. Our earnings have almost been halved,” he said.
Another delivery partner, Mohd Imran, said many riders are waiting outside restaurants for long periods hoping to receive orders.
“Sometimes we stay logged in for 10 to 12 hours, but there are hardly enough deliveries. Many hotels are simply not accepting orders,” he said.
Restaurants prioritise dine-in customers
Restaurant owners say the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders has forced them to limit kitchen operations.
Many establishments are prioritising dine-in customers instead of online orders.
“We are operating with very limited gas cylinders. Because of this, we reduced our menu and prioritised dine-in customers,” said Kishore, a restaurant manager in Banjara Hills.
Gig worker unions raise concerns
The issue has also drawn attention from gig worker organisations. The Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers and the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union said the shortage has hit delivery partners’ livelihoods.
According to union estimates, Telangana has around 4.2 lakh gig workers. This includes people working with cab aggregators, delivery platforms, and e-commerce services.
Workers advised to explore other services
Salauddin Sheikh, head of the union, said delivery partners are being advised to look for temporary alternatives.
“We are asking delivery partners to consider working with other e-commerce, quick delivery, or bike ride services for now,” he said.
He added that the union has written to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The letter seeks urgent intervention to ensure adequate supply of commercial LPG cylinders.
