Roadside eateries occupy footpath space to set up firewood stoves

Mysore/Mysuru: With LPG shortage looming and the supply of commercial cylinders disrupted, several roadside eateries in the city have begun returning to the traditional method of cooking with firewood to keep their businesses running.

The disruption in LPG supply followed the war in the Middle East that began on Feb. 28, leaving many hotels and small eateries struggling to procure commercial cylinders that were earlier used for gas stoves.

Even when available, the cylinders now come at a much higher cost, making it difficult for small vendors to afford them. While some eateries have temporarily shut down, others have turned to traditional firewood stoves as a practical alternative to continue operations and                                             earn a livelihood.

At many roadside food stalls, the footpath itself has been converted into a makeshift kitchen. Vendors cook on earthen or locally fabricated stoves fuelled by firewood.

A walk through areas such as Santhepet, Sayyaji Rao Road, Seshadri Iyer Road near the private bus stand, the KSRTC Sub-Urban Bus Stand and other busy stretches reveals a scene reminiscent of village kitchens of the past.  Men and women can be seen blowing air or fanning the embers with pieces of cardboard to keep the fire burning while preparing food.

Naveen Kumar, who runs Sri Basaveshwara Khanavali near the private bus stand, told Star of Mysore that when the crisis began due to the non-availability of commercial cylinders, he had returned to his native place for about 15 days.

“Even after coming back, the situation had not improved and the supply of commercial cylinders had still not normalised. With no other option to run the eatery and earn a living, we purchased an earthen stove,” he said.

The stove is now used to cook rice, curry, palya and chapatis. He added that the menu has also been reduced due to the situation. Earlier, the eatery served items such as jowar roti, holige, bajji and several other dishes, but the offerings have now been limited to suit the reduced demand.