Patna's LPG Crisis Disrupts College Hostel Operations and Student Life
In Patna, the ongoing LPG crisis has prompted the district administration to take necessary steps, but students living in college hostels and private accommodations are facing significant challenges. Many are adopting alternative cooking methods, altering their daily menus to reduce gas consumption, and some have even returned to their native places due to uncertainty over food availability. The crisis has heavily impacted the city, forcing numerous hostel messes to either shut down or shift to traditional fuels like coal and firewood.
University Hostels Grapple with Mess Closures and Student Exodus
At Patna University colleges, hostel operations are severely disrupted. In most institutions, hostels are not running properly, with messes also malfunctioning. For instance, none of the five hostels at Patna Science College is currently operating its mess, leaving students to manage their meals independently. College principal Alka reported that a number of hostel residents have left for their homes to stay with parents, while others are relying on nearby restaurants or dhabas for meals.
Bhavuk Sharma, superintendent of Newton Hostel at Science College, mentioned that he has temporarily allowed some students to cook their own meals in the hostel's common room. "They are somehow managing to cook their meals on kerosene stoves or some sort of charcoal," he explained, highlighting the improvisation necessitated by the gas shortage.
Mixed Responses from Women's Colleges and Technical Institutes
At Magadh Mahila College, second-year history honours student Priya noted that girls in the hostel faced hardships earlier due to the LPG crisis, but the situation has now normalized. "Now we are getting our meals as per the menu, and there is no crisis as such," she said. However, college principal N P Varma revealed that feeding all 600 hostel residents remains a great hardship. Mess contractors have made alternative arrangements, including coal-fired stoves and firewood, particularly for boiling rice and dal, with a separate tent erected near the main hostel for cooking.
Tripti Sandilya, a first-year engineering student at NIT Patna, shared that the LPG crisis has adversely affected their menu, with non-vegetarian items off the list and parathas sometimes missing. "Due to the LPG crisis, the contractors are using cooking gas miserly and, hence, items requiring prolonged heating are not being served at present," she stated.
Rahul Sharma, director of NIFT-Patna, assured that there is no hardship in meeting meal requirements for the 200-odd girls in the institute's hostel, but mess contractors have prepared alternative fuel arrangements like coal and firewood to cope with any eventuality.
Private Accommodations Face Meal Skipping and Price Hikes
Students in private lodges or PG accommodations are grappling with the crisis by skipping meals, switching to pre-packaged food, or relying on limited, high-priced, or partially cooked meals. Several lodges have stopped in-house cooking and are ordering food from outside sources.
Pradeep Vishwakarma, a B N College student residing at a private lodge in Langertoli, pointed out that food prices at roadside eateries have skyrocketed due to the LPG crisis, and not all items are consistently available. "Most students are planning to return to their villages," he added, underscoring the severity of the situation for those in private accommodations.
The LPG crisis in Patna continues to disrupt daily life, forcing students and institutions to adapt with resilience and resourcefulness amidst ongoing challenges.
