The escalating conflict in West Asia has hit home, triggering a severe LPG crisis across West Bengal. As the war enters its second week, the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz—the world’s most vital oil and gas transit point—has choked supplies. This geopolitical turmoil has left professional kitchens and household hearths struggling for survival.

In Kolkata, the hospitality industry is reeling. Cloud kitchens in Tangra and South Kolkata are cancelling party orders and removing gas-intensive dishes like ‘Tandoors’ from their menus. Many businesses have been forced to slash operating hours or lay off staff. The crisis has even reached the state’s high-security secretariat, Nabanna, where the canteen is struggling to secure daily refills, threatening the food supply for government employees. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has intervened, ordering a helpline to curb black marketing. From the tourist hubs of Digha to the heart of Kolkata, the scarcity of commercial cylinders is causing an unprecedented economic and logistical nightmare for the food sector.