Too few cylinders, too costly in the black market, say owners

It’s 20 minutes to 6.29 pm, the time for Iftar on the last Friday before Eid.

In the narrow streets of Zakir Nagar, motorcycles roar past, their riders rushing to get home.

Mohammed Sarwar stands next to a huge aluminium container, surrounded by a small crowd of customers, racing against time to pack orders for Iftar – half plates of chicken lollipop and quarters of fish fry.

Mohammed Sarwar’s shop, Madina Chicken Corner, has been running for the past 11 years.

Business is usually brisk during Ramzan – but on Friday, Sarwar had opened his shop after a full three days.

He did not have a choice – he had run out of cooking gas.

“You need LPG to cook every item on the menu.

Customers came every day, and we usually send 15-20 kg of food to the mosque where people break their fasts.

Today, I finally got a cylinder from my sister who lives in Seelampur,” Sarwar said.

Amid the panic-booking and hoarding of LPG as the war in the Middle East rages on, cylinders have been available in the black market – but the prices, Sarwar said, were unaffordable, sometimes as high as Rs 3,000 per cylinder.

“We need to pay the rent for the shop, and we have not raised prices,” he said.

Sarwar’s dilemma isn’t unique.

Several other eateries in Zakir Nagar have also been hit by the gas shortage during Ramzan, the month in which many people visit, often from faraway neighbourhoods, for the famous nahari, chapli kebabs, and Afghani samosas.

The rush begins with Iftar and continues until Sehri, the pre-dawn meal that is eaten around 5 am.

Sarwar’s neighbour is Javed Famous Nahari, which is indeed very famous.

The restaurant has been running for the past 35 years, but this Ramzan, operations have been impacted by the uncertainty about LPG cylinders.

“This has been going on for a week, and today we have not even prepared food for Sehri, the cooking for which should have been over by now.

We are getting a few cylinders from home and buying some in the black market.

We don’t know how things will be over the weekend, which is the busiest time.

Dishes like korma and nahari need prolonged slow cooking,” owner Javed Baig said.

In Shaheen Bagh, Zaika, a well known Mughlai food outlet, is struggling to manage with half the LPG supply it needs, and is considering curtailing the menu.

“Instead of the 4-5 cylinders that we need, we’re getting only about two, that too at black market prices sometimes touching three or four thousand rupees.

There can be no compromise with the cooking of our chicken and mutton burra, so if the shortage continues, we will be forced to stop making some items on the menu,” said the owner of the restaurant.

Zaika has been forced to raise the prices of its rolls by Rs 10, and that of tea by Rs 5.

Pieces of white paper with the revised prices written on them have been stuck on the red menu card.

Stay updated with the latest -Click here to follow us on Instagram