Bhubaneswar: With the hotel and restaurant industry reportedly getting hit by a shortage of LPG cylinders amid the Middle East war, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Wednesday said it is considering allowing eateries to use charcoal and firewood stoves, which were previously banned by the civic body.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, BMC Mayor Sulochana Das said the ongoing war in the Middle East has affected the supply of LPG cylinders. “We had imposed restrictions on firewood and coal cookers due to air pollution.
However, the war situation has affected small-scale vendors and eateries due to the shortage of LPG, impacting their livelihood,” the mayor said.
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“We are considering allowing firewood and coal cookers for eateries until the war situation becomes normal and the supply of LPG is restored.
Today we will hold a meeting on sanitation with all corporators, where we will discuss this proposal for the temporary use of coal stoves,” she added.
A final decision is expected after the meeting concludes. Earlier, the civic body had banned the use of firewood and coal cookers to curb air pollution in the city January 5.
The BMC is now considering temporarily lifting the ban following the LPG shortage triggered by the Middle East war.
