Bhubaneswar, March 11: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has temporarily permitted the use of coal and firewood as cooking fuel across the city following a shortage of commercial LPG.

The move comes after small and medium-sized hotels, restaurants, and tea stalls reported difficulties in continuing their operations due to the fuel shortage.

The scarcity of commercial LPG has been linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has disrupted supply chains and reduced the availability of gas cylinders. As a result, several small food businesses in the city are struggling to obtain sufficient LPG for daily use.

Mayor Sulochana Das stated that hotels, restaurants, and tea stalls will be allowed to use coal and firewood until the supply of commercial LPG returns to normal. She added that once the gas supply stabilizes, the earlier ban aimed at controlling pollution will be reinstated.

Previously, the BMC had strictly banned the use of coal as a cooking fuel in Bhubaneswar as part of efforts to curb air pollution. Coal burning releases smoke and significantly contributes to poor air quality, and establishments found violating the ban were subject to penalties.

However, amid the current LPG shortage, food vendors and shop owners urged the civic authorities to allow alternative fuels such as coal and firewood so they could continue running their businesses. Taking the situation into account, the BMC has decided to temporarily ease the restriction.