Fuel shortage fears have sparked panic buying at petrol pumps across Chennai, Tamil Nadu, as tensions between Iran and Israel continue to raise concerns over global oil supply disruptions. Reports from several parts of the city show long queues of vehicles outside fuel stations, with motorists rushing to fill their tanks amid speculation that petrol and diesel prices could rise in the coming days. The sudden surge in demand has created congestion at many fuel outlets, with some customers waiting for extended periods to refuel.
Meanwhile, a similar situation has also been reported in Kolkata, where long queues of auto-rickshaws were reportedly seen at petrol pumps today. The situation has also disrupted auto services in parts of the city.LPG dealers said they have instructions not to issue double-cylinder gas connections at this juncture, and deliveries are slow due to the crisis. National Restaurant Association of India’s Kolkata chapter head Piyush Kankaria said the supply of cooking gas to eateries across the city has been completely stopped from Wednesday.Owners of roadside food joints in the business districts of Kolkata and Salt Lake claimed they were having to buy cooking gas cylinders at nearly double the retail price. The Ministry of Petroleum has said that in light of current geopolitical disruptions to fuel supply and constraints on the supply of LPG, it has issued orders to oil refineries to increase LPG production.The ministry has prioritised domestic LPG supply to households and introduced a 25-day inter-booking period to avoid hoarding or black marketing.