Walking into Dacres Lane in central Kolkata during lunch hour is usually a challenge in itself. The plates of food, the noise, the bikers seeking a shortcut, all translate to more than a culinary experience.
Thursday (March 12) felt different.
When My Kolkata visited the food alley, “Abar kyano?” asked a worker at Chitto Babu’s Cabin.
The reason for the irritation was not just from the LPG crisis in Kolkata, it was also the constant hankering by customers and journalists on the issue of what happens next.
“Half our items are not available. We are facing massive problems with production, and we have no idea if we’ll be open tomorrow,” said the owner of the century-old shop that feeds hundreds everyday.
The situation is the same at Suruchee restaurant. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to pay the workers this month if this crisis continues,” said Swapan Biswas, manager of Suruchee.
It has been three days since the Indian LPG crisis hit Kolkata eateries, roadside food-stalls, and restaurants.
Entering Dacres Lane from Waterloo Street, you come across an old shop on your right. Bappa Saha, owner of Romesh Babur Dokan, was deeply worried.
“I have two cylinders left. It will probably run for a day more. The supplier has told me there’s no more commercial cylinders available. Even if I wanted to buy something off the black market, I can’t. Each cylinder there is going for an extra 1,000 rupees,” said Saha. His only option is to keep the wood oven burning, making tea and ghugni.
Though the daily ‘bhaater hotels’ have cut their meal volume by half, the crowd of office workers has not decreased.
Sourav Halder, owner of Classic East Food Centre is devastated. “I have no more options left. There is not only a deficit, my vendor has shut off his phone. If I cannot arrange for cylinders in two days, I will have to shut down my shop,” said Halder.
Joy Maa Tara Hotel is not only popular on social media, it is one of the bigger establishments on James Hickey Sarani, more famous as Dacres Lane. Arun, the owner of the eatery, says, “Now, I have two gods to pray to. One is Kali Maa, and now, the LPG companies are my gods too. The gas crisis is intense. I can just pray we don't lose our livelihood.”
Shops with wood-burning ovens are surviving for now, even as alternatives like kerosene stoves become costlier. Many shops have already closed down.
