Fuel shortage in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana has caused long queues and even forced some petrol pumps to shut down for the second consecutive day. To address this issue, the state civil supplies department has directed Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to boost the market with fuel. Civil Supplies Commissioner M. Stephen Raveendra has issued emergency orders to OMCs, who are now front-loading the supply chain by taking advance indents from dealers and deploying 3,100 fuel tankers across the state.
To prevent fuel scarcity, the department is closely monitoring the situation by requiring ground-level stock reports from all retail outlets every three hours. Additionally, the department is ensuring uninterrupted fuel access for farmers to support essential harvesting and paddy procurement operations. Statewide petroleum supplies have been significantly increased by 126% to stabilize local fuel stations facing high demand due to various factors.
The surge in demand at local fuel pumps is attributed to several reasons, including a recent price hike for industrial diesel, supply issues in neighboring states, and public panic-buying fueled by rumors of post-election price increases. Daily diesel distribution in the state has soared by 151%, while petrol distribution has nearly doubled, prompting authorities to reinforce fuel supplies in Hyderabad by 43%. Despite the challenges, the department emphasizes that there is no fuel shortage in Telangana and urges citizens to avoid panic-buying.
