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Students, workers feel 5kg cylinder ban heat - OrissaPOST

Bhubaneswar: The decision to ban small cylinders - 1kg and 5 kg- taken amid supply disruptions linked to the West Asia crisis, has triggered panic among bachelors living in paying guest (PG) accommodations, students, and low-income families. Many have opposed the move, saying that livelihoods would be impacted severely if the ban is not lifted at the earliest. Sasmit Behera, preparing for competitive exams, said he and his roommates had to pool money to buy an induction cooktop as local vendors stopped refills. "Now, even the prices of induction cookers have doubled," he added. Households are also struggling to adjust. "Earlier, I could manage my kitchen with a small cylinder and careful use. Now, with the refill limit and no backup option, it has become very stressful to cook meals for the entire family," said Sunita Nayak, a homemaker from Bhubaneswar. "We are cutting down on cooking and making simpler meals just to save gas." Meanwhile, small traders have reported losses. A hardware store owner in Cuttack said, "We only met demand. If small cylinders are banned, people may resort to unsafe refilling at home." The crisis has pushed some families back to traditional wood-fired stoves. "We now cook everything in one pot to save gas," said Archana Sahoo, a homemaker. "While this decision aims to curb misuse, it will make life significantly harder for students, bachelors, and single working professionals living away from home, who do not have individual LPG connections," said Vivek Dehury, an engineering student. Due to a gas supply issue, we depend on our neighbours to book gas and exchange our cylinder, said Seema Das, a BEd student living in a PG. Sasmita Nayak, employed in a private company in Cuttack, expressed concern over the possible ban on 5kg LPG cylinders. "Such a decision would create serious difficulties in my daily life," she said, urging the authorities to reconsider the decision. Daily wage labourer Ramesh Nayak, working at a construction site in Jajpur, said, "I live in a shared rented house and am dependent on a 5kg LPG cylinder for cooking. This decision would directly impact kitchens from tomorrow." "Most of us rely on small 5kg cylinders in our rented rooms. With the ban, cooking daily meals will become difficult and expensive. We already manage on tight budgets," Rupesh Kumar Deep, a school teacher, stated. "I prefer to study late night and cook simple food to save time and money. If small LPG cylinders are unavailable, I might have to depend on outside food, which is unhealthy and costly," competitive exam aspirant Sanjeeb Swain shared. Another student, Jhasketan Bhoi Kumar, said, "We share a single cylinder among three roommates. Now we don't know how we'll manage. Induction stoves increase electricity bills, which landlords don't allow to use." "Students living away from home depend on affordable cooking options. This decision may control illegal trade, but there should be an alternative for genuine users like us," civil services aspirant Abhishek Panda said. "Hostels and PGs don't provide proper food. We cook ourselves using 5kg cylinders. Putting a ban on it will affect exam preparation for many students," quoted Sachin Sahu, a student. Sourabha Sahu, a bachelor staying in a local PG says, "Many of us cook once in the morning and focus on studies the rest of the day. Without access to 5kg cylinders, we'll either skip meals or spend more on eating outside, which will affect both health and our preparation." Job aspirant Satya Mohapatra shares, "Students living in small PG rooms don't have space for big cylinders. The 5kg cylinder was convenient and affordable. Now, managing cooking, along with studies, will become stressful."

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