Gurugram, March 17 -- As the cooking gas crisis deepens in Gurugram, several cloud kitchens and multi-chain restaurants scaled down operations on Monday, with some dhabas shifting to clay ovens, induction cookers or wooden blocks as alternative fuels due to limited LPG supply. Within days of the supply crunch affecting consumers, food businesses said they have begun adjusting operations, with many relying on reserved liquefied petroleum gas stock to continue functioning. A manager of a multi-chain restaurant on Sohna Road, requesting anonymity, said both dine-in and online orders have been affected. "Supplies are being managed by logistically stretching existing resources. The operations are frequently halted whenever cylinder stock finishes," the manager said, adding that diners are facing longer waiting times. The manager said the restaurant has decided not to increase prices despite losses. Another restaurant owner in Sector 51 near Artemis Hospital said limited LPG availability has reduced business activity. "The rising cost of cylinders through informal channels have forced us to use wooden blocks as fuel and rely on clay ovens instead of much cheaper gas stoves," the owner said, adding that food prices may rise if the shortage continues. A cafe in Sector 65 that relied on reserved LPG supplies until Monday afternoon is planning to scale down operations and limit its menu to roasted items prepared in clay ovens. "Staff are expected to be reduced temporarily in the coming days to meet the cost of goods sold (COGS)," said the cafe's manager, Dalbir Singh. A cloud kitchen on Prajapati Road employing around 20 workers, including cooks and support staff, has shut down its pickup store due to rising LPG costs. "The exorbitant LPG prices have made it impossible for a new business to be sustained. The staff will be called back to duty once the LPG supplies are restored to their original state," said Manoj Sardana, the kitchen manager. Another dhaba owner near Vatika Chowk criticised the situation, saying, "The global crisis doesn't mean that the government authorities can turn a blind eye to the supply shortage. Staying close to the clay oven for prolonged hours during cooking can be harmful for health, leading to heat stress and dehydration." Several restaurant owners said the 19kg commercial LPG cylinder, which earlier cost around Rs.1,770 in the district, is now selling for nearly Rs.1,900. The owners added that supply restrictions have also led to unauthorised sellers charging between Rs.4,000 and Rs.5,000 per cylinder. District food and supplies controller officials said the administration is monitoring purchase and supply orders of all 58 LPG distributors in the district. "The lists of all LPG purchases made daily are shared with the department to curb hoarding and black marketing," a senior official said, adding that teams are conducting surprise inspections with local police. Bharat Yadav, president of the Haryana LPG Dealers Association, said a sudden surge in booking requests has slowed distribution. "The authorities have informed us that the booking portal has been upgraded, and the supplies will continue without interruption in the coming week once the order backlog gets cleared in the next two to three days. By working for extended hours, the delivery infrastructure will be utilised to its maximum capacity," he said. Officials at Haryana City Gas said supply restrictions currently apply only to LPG supplied to local industries. "Prices for commercial LPG and CNG have increased slightly over the past week, with limits imposed on daily usage based on industry-specific consumption patterns," a senior HCG official said, requesting anonymity....