SANGAM

Hotels’ kitchen fires burning low

SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, MAY 04 -
Star-hotels across the Capital are facing shortage of perishable goods like vegetables, dairy products and meat items due to the indefinite general strike called by the UCPN (Maoist).

Since three consecutive days, the hospitality sector which was already affected by mass cancellation of bookings made earlier by tourists coupled with the Maoists’ donation drive is now suffering from a shortage of victuals.

According to hoteliers, there is adequate food grains and other items in stock for more than four months and there is little chance of such items falling short. It is the shortage of greens, meat and dairy products that has landed them in trouble.

Five-star hotels that were normally consuming over 10-20 kgs (single vegetable items) are now facing a severe shortage since Tuesday.

“We are having a tough time procuring vegetables and meat,” said Krishna Shrestha, purchase manager of Hotel Everest, adding that there was hardly 3-4 kgs each of vegetable items at the hotel.

According to him, the pitiful quantity has to suffice to feed the 350 staff apart from the guests staying at the hotel. “Due to the shortage of dairy items and meat, three restaurants inside the hotel have already been downed their shutters,” he said.

He said that the hotel used to procure vegetables from Kalimati market. “However, the strike over three consecutive days has forced us to manage foodstuff in the evenings from local vendors and markets near the hotel,” he said.

The hospitality sector and the common are however, getting some respite as the Maoists have allowed markets to open from 6 pm to 8 pm everyday for purchasing essential supplies. However, essential supplies, particularly perishable goods, are in short supply due to the lack of means of transportation.

“We are running out of stock of fresh vegetables and meat items,” said Chudamani Sunwar, a cook at Hotel Shankar, Lazimpart. He said that the hotel had stocked fresh vegetables and meat items for three days and all the stock has been exhausted.

The hotel usually consumes over 80 kgs of vegetables (varying according to customers) each day. The consumption of meat and meat related items was 40-45 kgs each day before the strike. He said that the hotel management is managing the supply of vegetables through itinerant vendors and porters.

Murari Biyala of Grand Hotel, Tahachal, said the hotel used to purchase vegetables worth Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 daily but now the purchase has plunged to Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 each day. “Unavailability of vegetables has worsened the situation,” he said.

He further said that the hotel was managing to supply some common vegetables but there was a shortage of expensive vegetables like as mushroom, beetroot, broccoli, among others.

Madhav Om Shrestha, executive director of Hotel Association of Nepal, said tourists putting up in different hotels in the Capital are anxious to leave the country at the earliest. On the other hand, the number of arrivals has started dropping.

Vegetable markets are mostly closed and within the given time by the Maoist to open, they provide only a few vegetables. This has also increased the prices of essential supplies.