Petrol Shortage in Hyderabad

The recent petrol shortage in Hyderabad has resulted in significant panic buying, leading to long queues at petrol pumps across the city. Despite the Telangana government’s assurances that there is no fuel shortage, several petrol stations have run out of fuel, displaying ‘no stock’ signs.

Reports indicate that some petrol stations have begun rationing fuel sales, limiting purchases to between 150 and 200 litres for two-wheelers. This situation has arisen amidst an estimated daily consumption of 35 lakh litres of petrol in Telangana.

The panic buying was reportedly triggered by rumors circulating on social media about a fuel shortage, prompting many residents to rush to petrol stations. A local resident, A Narendra, mentioned, “I came here after seeing posts about a fuel shortage on social media.” Meanwhile, another individual, Sai Kumar, expressed frustration, stating, “Hundreds of vehicles are here for filling. I am here from almost 25 minutes.”

In response to the situation, Stephan Reveendra, IPS, Commissioner of the Civil Supplies Department, urged the public not to engage in panic buying, emphasizing that the fuel supply mechanism is functioning normally. However, oil companies did not supply fuel over the weekend due to holidays, contributing to the temporary stock issues reported at petrol stations in areas like Bahadurpura and Mir Alam.

There are approximately 3,600 petrol pumps across Telangana, with 900 to 1,000 located in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) region. Normally, each pump sells between 10,000 to 12,000 litres of petrol daily. However, on days of panic buying, some pumps reported sales of up to 13,000 litres by 6 PM.

Marri Amarender Reddy, president of the Telangana Petroleum Dealers Association, criticized the sudden rules and restrictions imposed by oil companies, stating, “When the situation is not right, the oil companies should not impose sudden rules and restrictions that directly affect the common citizens.”

Details remain unconfirmed regarding the exact reason for the sudden surge in demand for petrol, and the timeline for when normal fuel supply will resume is uncertain. The Civil Supplies department continues to monitor the situation closely.