Rishikesh, April 4 -- Business operations at several hotels and dhabas in Rishikesh came to a standstill as a severe shortage of commercial LPG cylinders gripped the town.

Local owners said the shortage has forced many establishments to either shut down temporarily or revert to traditional cooking methods, such as coal and wood, to continue serving customers.

Highlighting the gap between official claims and the ground situation, Vivek Tiwari, owner of Tiwari Shudh Vaishno Bhojnalay, on Friday told ANI, "There are a lot of problems related to gas. While the government has said that the gas supply is normal, we are not getting enough gas as per our needs..."

He further said that the situation is affecting the town's hospitality sector at...