Fuel shortage leaves petrol pumps dry in district

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Out of 105 petrol pumps in the city and 230 in rural areas, six pumps in the city ran out of fuel on Monday due to delayed supply despite repeated demand. A similar situation was reported at 10 to 12 pumps in rural areas. As fuel is not supplied from depots on Saturdays and Sundays, pump operators are forced to wait, resulting in pumps running dry. However, the supply department has claimed that there is sufficient fuel stock in the district.

Last month, oil companies did not supply fuel without advance payment, leading to long queues at several pumps. A similar situation has been seen over the past two days. The municipal petrol pump in the Roshan Gate area ran dry by evening, causing long queues at other stations.

Fuel supply normal: administration

There is no shortage of petrol and diesel in the district, and supply is running smoothly. Around 2,000 kilolitres of petrol and 1,800 kilolitres of diesel are supplied daily from depots to pumps, said district supply officer Pravin Phulari.

LPG cylinder shortage continues

Due to the war-like situation in Gulf countries, the shortage of domestic LPG cylinders continues. There are 77 LPG agencies in the district belonging to BPCL, HPCL and IOC, of which 24 are in urban areas. These companies supply around 20,530 cylinders daily. However, due to higher bookings and comparatively lower supply, consumers are facing a waiting period of 8 to 12 days. Those with only one cylinder are particularly affected.

Diesel shortage in rural areas

A shortage of diesel has emerged in rural areas at a time when agricultural activities for the Kharif season are beginning. Farmers depend on diesel for tractors, and several pumps on the Sillod–Ajanta road are displaying “no stock” boards. A similar situation prevails in other parts of the district.