Thousands of IT professionals living in Hyderabad’s IT corridor are facing an unexpected food crisis as hostels struggle with an acute shortage of cooking gas. The daily comforts of morning tea, coffee, and hot breakfast items like dosa, puri, and chapathi have been abruptly removed from hostel menus across the city.
The crisis is affecting nearly 10 to 11 lakh IT employees and students currently residing in hostels throughout the city. With commercial cooking gas cylinders becoming increasingly scarce, hostel kitchens have been forced to drastically reduce their food preparation capabilities, creating what residents describe as a full-blown emergency situation.
Vellampalli Maheedhar, Treasurer of the IT Corridor Hostel Association, confirmed the severity of the situation. The association has reported that hostels are now resorting to using firewood stoves to manage basic cooking requirements. The scale of the problem makes it nearly impossible to prepare industrial-sized meals for thousands of residents with the current equipment limitations.
The commercial cylinder prices have witnessed a sharp increase from approximately ₹1,950 to over ₹2,300 within just a few weeks. This sudden price spike has placed immense financial pressure on hostel owners who are already struggling to maintain operations. Despite these mounting costs, hostel fees have remained unchanged as operators attempt to avoid passing the burden onto residents.
Menu offerings have been drastically simplified across hostels in the region. Popular items that require significant fuel and time for preparation, including tea, coffee, dosa, puri, and chapathi, have been completely removed. Hostels are now serving only basic meals such as rice and sambar. Even self-cooking facilities have been suspended to conserve the remaining fuel supplies.
The IT Corridor Hostel Association has linked this crisis to the ripple effects of ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, which have disrupted global fuel supply chains. With approximately 1,100 hostels housing a massive portion of the city’s IT workforce, the association warns that a systemic shutdown of these facilities could become a reality if the situation does not improve soon.
The association has made an urgent appeal for government intervention to address the crisis. Mahidhar emphasized that consistent gas supply to hostels is essential for employees to continue their work without disruption. The risk extends beyond just food availability, potentially triggering a broader crisis that could force thousands of IT professionals to abandon their jobs and return to their hometowns.
Mahidhar stated that the request to authorities is straightforward: if the government can ensure a consistent supply of gas to hostels, IT employees can continue their work uninterrupted. The association has warned that without immediate action, the city could face a fuel and transport crisis that would have far-reaching consequences for Hyderabad’s IT sector and its workforce.
