NEW DELHI, March 13 -- A shortage of cooking gas cylinders in the national capital has disrupted the catering and events industry, forcing caterers to turn to alternative fuels such as wood, coal and electric appliances to keep kitchens running. Event managers say they are absorbing losses or scaling down menus as they struggle to secure LPG supplies.

Due to the ongoing West Asia conflict, the shortage of cooking gas reached Delhi a few days ago, leading to widespread black marketing of cylinders and denial of supply by vendors. Officially, a 14.2kg domestic LPG cylinder in Delhi costs Rs.913, while a 19kg commercial cylinder costs Rs.1,883. But residents say they are either paying exorbitant prices in the black market or struggling to f...