Rush to buy stoves catches distributors off guard
Kerosene/diesel run stoves have run out of stock with commercial establishments and households switching to the time tested mode of cooking.
MARGAO
Long forgotten and largely pushed out of kitchens by LPG cylinders, piped gas and more recently induction cooktops, the humble kerosene stove is witnessing an unexpected revival in the commercial capital of Goa. Once the mainstay of kitchens across the country, the traditional stove is now back in demand as households and businesses scramble for alternatives amid a shortage of LPG cylinders.
With the scarcity of commercial LPG cylinders looming large and the waiting period for domestic cylinders reportedly increasing, many establishments and households have begun turning to kerosene stoves to ensure that kitchen operations do not come to a halt during the ongoing energy crunch.
The sudden surge in demand has resulted in a shortage of these stoves in the market. Traditionally designed to run on kerosene, the stoves are now also being used with diesel in the absence of readily available kerosene, making them a practical stopgap solution for many users.
The rush to purchase the stoves has caught distributors off guard. One of the major distributors in Margao, K R Zambaulikar & Sons, has completely exhausted its stock following a spike in demand over the past few days.
Until recently, visitors to the Margao Municipal New Market area could easily spot kerosene stoves being sold near the first market gate opposite Morning Star. However, the small shop and its godown located in the Pancharatna building now stand empty of the once-common appliances.
Proprietor Anand Zambaulikar said the demand has surged dramatically in the past two days.
“The entire stock of kerosene and diesel stoves has been exhausted. I have none left either in the shop or the godown,” Zambaulikar told The Goan. “I have been receiving inquiries from boat owners, hoteliers and households, especially migrants. Because of the heavy demand, I have already placed orders for dozens of stoves from Mumbai and Belgaum. We expect the consignment to arrive within a day or two.”
Sources in the market said several commercial establishments, faced with uncertainty in LPG supply, have opted to temporarily switch to the time-tested kerosene stoves to keep their kitchens operational.
“Normally these stoves run on kerosene, but since kerosene is not freely available in the open market these days, many users are operating them on diesel,” sources said.
For decades before LPG became widely accessible, kerosene stoves were a staple in Indian kitchens, particularly in urban middle-class households and small eateries. Although they gradually disappeared with the expansion of LPG distribution and the introduction of modern cooking appliances, the current supply constraints have pushed many consumers to rediscover the reliability of the old-fashioned stove.
