Pushed out of the narrative of fuel shortage in Hyderabad are the countless small and medium-sized food kiosk owners who keep the city running. “A plate of idly now is ₹40. Earlier it was Rs. 30. Why? I used to get a commercial cylinder for ₹1800, now it is not available even for ₹6000,” says Praveen who runs Durga Bhavani Tiffins in Yellareddyguda.
Yards away is Lama Chinese Fast Food where the prices have gone up by ₹10 per food item. “I am caught in a bind. If I increase it too much, I will lose customers. I have already lost. I am never free around this time but see,” says the owner pointing to empty chairs in the small outlet.
Elsewhere in the city, the same story repeats itself with food kiosks raising prices and the customers disappearing.
Elsewhere, food items have been removed from the menu due to fuel shortage. “We used to get 18-20 cylinders per day. Now we are getting four or five. We have moved to firewood for biryani and other food items. Chinese items are off the menu. All the tandoori items are available,” said Mirza Ali, food consultant for Blue Sea Cafe in Abids.
The price however is the same. “Wood is cheaper than gas but we cannot cook all the dishes on wood-fired stoves,” he said.
