The common man appears to be bearing the brunt of the ongoing Iran-Israel war, with its effects now visible in the form of an LPG crisis.Although the district administration claims that the situation has largely stabilised, dhaba owners and tea stall vendors across the city have increased prices of food items and tea, putting additional pressure on household budgets—especially for daily wage earners who rely on such outlets for their daily meals.Several dhabas and tea stalls have raised the prices of dishes, chapatis and tea due to the reduced availability of LPG cylinders.Raju, who runs a tea stall near A.C. Market, said that he earlier sold tea at Rs 10 per cup but has now increased the price to Rs 15.“Cylinders are not easily available, and I have to pay almost double to get them refilled. I am getting a 14-kg cylinder in the black market for Rs 2,000, which earlier cost around Rs 900. How can I survive without increasing the rates?” he said.The worst affected are daily wage earners, who depend on dhabas for affordable meals. “Most migrant workers eat at dhabas, but now the prices have gone up by Rs 20-30. Earlier, a meal cost Rs 60-70, but now I am paying Rs 85-90 for the same food. For someone like me, even an extra Rs 15 per day is a burden,” said Chandan Kumar, a daily wager.Gurpreet Singh, owner of Rishi Dhaba, said that nearly 20-25 per cent of dhaba operators had increased prices as sustaining operations had become difficult.“We also had to cut down our menu due to the shortage of cylinders. However, with some improvement in the supply of non-domestic cylinders, we are gradually restoring the earlier menu. It also depends on the type of ‘bhattis’ used for cooking,” he said.Vishal, another daily wage earner, pointed out that while customers at expensive restaurants or hostels might be able to absorb the price hike, people like him, who eat out purely for survival, are finding it increasingly difficult. “The rise in prices of chapatis and vegetables is really pinching,” he said.